Blackness Into the Light
by Bramblestar of ThunderClan
Summary: Drama/Tragedy/Angst/Family/romance/many! What if Sasuke HAD actually died when Deidara blew himself up? This is a story of what could have happened had Sasuke died, and Itachi lived. A "what if" scenario. There will probably be some teen/adult scenes.
1. Blackness Into the Light Part 1

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT HAVE THE GREAT FORTUNE TO OWN NARUTO, ITACHI, OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE NARUTO SERIES. I DO HOWEVER OWN ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.

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So basically this fan fic is based on the speculation 'What if'?

_What if Sasuke had **actually** died when Deidara blew himself up?_

If you have been keeping up with the manga over the internet (not the manga they are way too slowly releasing in America) then you know where this is coming from... sort of. Happy reading, everyone! 8D

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Itachi heaved a sigh, his insides shuddering under the invisible weight that rested upon his weary shoulders. His heart quivered painfully as he painstackingly thought of how his beloved little brother died by the hands, or rather the blasts, of Deidara. He turned to his side and sat down, putting his face in his hands, elbows on knees. The inside of his chest burned powerfully with the strong emotions of loss and hopelessness.

Twin trails of tears scorched through his hands and scoured paths down his arms. He tried in vain to repress a shudder, but his whole body shook slightly as he exhaled.

_Dead..._

His throat constricted, tightened.

_Sasuke.... is dead...._

Itachi's broken heart rose in his throat.

_He was supposed to kill me... All in vain.... It was all in vain._

The second-to-last Uchiha's hands dropped from his face and his head hung low. His hair hung limply in front of his face. Memories of his little brother flashed through his mind from when they were younger.

_"Look, Itachi!" Sasuke held up a small leaf between two fingers, his face beeming. The top part was burnt away. The young Uchiha boy's face simply beemed with pride._

_"See? Can you see what I did?"_

_Itachi bent over to get a better look, his eyes glowing warmly. The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly in a smile._

_"Did you do that, little man?" He asked, reaching for the burnt leaf. Taking it in his fingers, he twirled it slowly._

_"Uh-huh!" His grin was so huge Itachi thought his face would split._

_A low chuckle escaped Itachi's throat, and he placed a hand on Sasuke's head and ruffled his hair._

_"That is quite an achievment, Sasuke. You will be a grand shinobi one day; I know it."_

_Sasuke giggled happily and took the leaf back from Itachi._

_"Itachi, will you teach me to be as good as you one day?" Sasuke asked earnestly, his face suddenly serious._

_"Huh?" Itachi blinked a few times, his mouth hanging open slightly. The tiniest blush of joy crept over Itachi's face. After a few heartbeats, he smiled and chuckled again._

_"I would love to, Sasuke."_

The powerful shinobi resisted the urge to hug himself. He didn't know what to do with his arms. Itachi felt like his heart had fallen out of his chest and shattered upon the cold floor. It was his first real time alone from other Akatsuki members since he heard that Sasuke died. He couldn't think clearly, but he felt that he had kept his true emotions hidden long enough. What could it hurt, to briefly express what was in his heart?

A candle momentarily flickered in the corner of the room, casting a dancing shadow on the stool it rested on. A centipede crawled up the wall in front of Itachi, but he didn't notice it. It was too dark, and his eyes too close to blindness.

"Pointless to have a candle... It doesn't give off enough light to fill the room. And I'm nearly blind." He half smiled, as two more tears eased over his eyelids and slid hotly down his cheeks, blazing a salty trail. He chuckled again, a little more loudly this time. Another slipped from his throat. Before it completely escaped his mouth, an intense wave of sadness crashed over him, flooding his senses, and without even realizing it his chuckle turned into a sob.

His sobs grew louder, echoing around the empty room, completely giving into his grief. He closed his eyes and relaxed all his muscles completely. With that, he fell to the floor with a heavy thud, his head bouncing on the hard floor. The wave of grief pounded his insides, tearing at his internal organs, wreaking havoc on his mind.

"S-sasuke!' He softly moaned his deceased brothers name, clenching his eyes shut as tight as he could. Slowly at first, then with quickening speed, Itachi's conscienceness slipped away from him...

In the mists of his unconsciencesness, images began to flit across Itachi Uchiha's mind. At first, just flickering images. Then they began to grow, and became steady images in his mind. It was a scene from his childhood that he hadn't thought about in a long time.

_"Would you like to hold him, Itachi-kun?" A woman in a bed holding an infant asked a young Itachi._

_"Huh?" Itachi spluttered, looking up at the woman round-eyed as a puppy. "You mean I could... in my arms?" Asked the little boy._

_"Uh-huh." She smiled at him sofly, offering the babe to Itachi. "He is your brother, after all. So you can hold him as much as you like, son."_

_"Um, o-h, okay, mom." Itachi reached up and held out his arms as his mother gently placed the infant in Itachi's outstretched arms._

_The young boy looked into the face of his baby brother unsmiling. Itachi clutched him to his chest and started to gently rock his brother back and forth._

_"Whats his name, mother?" He asked, stopping briefly to look up at his mom, his face openly curious._

_"Sasuke. His name is Uchiha Sasuke." She replied._

_"Sasuke." Itachi said, his gaze turned back to the new born. An unknown feeling welled up within Itachi and he knew immediatly that he and Sasuke would become great friends. The older brother realized with surprise that he was already feeling protective of his new little brother._

_Sasuke. Don't worry, Sasuke. I won't let anything happen to you. I will protect you no matter what.' He thought fiercly to himself. Impulsively, he put his cheek next to Sasuke's and nezzled his cheek next to Sasuke's._

_"Awwwe, isn't that precious?" Itachi and Sasuke's mother crooned at her two sons._

The image faded and there was nothing but blackness in Itachis world. He knew not how much time had passed when he came to, but he knew what he was going to do.

The youngest Uchiha in Akatsuki realized that he was in a bed, his head bandaged.

"Don't move too much, Itachi, your head isn't healed all the way yet." Konan said to Itachi, placing a hand on his shoulder to gently press him back.

Itachi sighed inwardly. "It's fine, don't worry about it." He said, but didn't have the heart to resist her. A lot had gone out of him when he had discovered the death of his younger brother.

That night when Konan wasn't in the room, he got out of bed and went in search of someone. When he found him, he simply said, "Pein, I'm leaving. I won't be coming back."

Konan was in the room, and she looked questiongly at Pein, but Itachi noticed no more as he left the room and made his way out of the Akatsuki hideout. No one tried to stop him. He dropped his Akatsuki robe at the exit of their hideout.

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I feel like I could have made this emotional first chapter more... emotional. I was trying to go for the "gut-wrenching" feel/emotion, but it doesn't feel like I pulled it off. :'(

Anywho... I love comments! Good, bad, give me your comments, thoughts, opinions, likes/dislikes, whatever! :P Just gimme! ....... And I'll share my cookies. ;)


	2. Blackness Into the Light Part 2

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, AKTATSUKI, DEIDARA, SASUKE OR ANY CHARACTER IN THE SHOW 'NARUTO' BY MASASHI KISHIMOTO.**

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**Welcome back everyone to Part 2 of my Itachi fanfic, based on the "What if" scenario that Sasuke had died when Deidara blew himself, instead of Itachi dying.... well, you know where he dies. If not then GO READ IT! -**

**Anywho, thank you to everyone who read the first part and left me a comment! I work better with comments, so it works out well. :)  
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_If Sasuke **had** actually died..._

Part 2

Itachi walked out of the Akatsuki forever and never looked back. He started out heading east, and just kept walking. He wanted to get away from everything that reminded him of Sasuke. For days he walked, only stoping for small drinks of water when it was available, only eating when he found edible plants. He didn't have the heart to try and hunt for something. The former Akatsuki member could feel his will to live drain from his body. The sun beat down mercilessly on him, drenching him in sweat. His hair limp from presperation. Itachi panted heavily during the day and at night let himself fall to the ground if he didn't feel like going on. Most days he walked all the while the sun was in the sky, and kept walking during the night till he passed out from exhaustion.

"Deidara, you fool... Why did you have to kill Sasuke?" He asked out loud, a few weeks after abandoning Akatsuki. "He was meant to kill me. Now who will avenge the Uchiha's?"

The trees became denser, and the thick undergrowth made it difficult to walk in a straight path. The sun beat down on him only sparingly, but it did not stop the heat from penetrating the canopy above. Unfamiliar plants and animals surrounded him, strange birds sounded warnings, alerting the other animals in the area, but Itachi paid them no mind. As the days wore on, and more and more time passed, he became so dehydrated from so little liquids that his tongue became swollen in his mouth, yet he did not notice. The rogue shinobi's misery consumed him...

His anguish seeped into his bones, wrapping itself around his core as he once again thought of Sasuke's demise. The turmoil roiling in his gut burned his aching heart into a throbbing frenzy. Itachi stopped in his tracks. He was standing in a patch of sunlight. The solitary Uchiha turned his sun burned face towards the day ball, his normally expressionless face subtley etched with destitution.

Everything suddenly seem to come into sharp focus. He was totally aware of his surroundings. Up until this point he hadn't noticed how big, exactly, a hole Sasuke's death had put in his chest. The muscles around and in Itachi's heart tightened painfully. He weakly gripped his chest where it hurt as a sob rent from his lungs. Itachi hadn't realized this yet, but his usual calm demeanor and composure had melted away with the death of his brother.

"Sasuke, Sasuke... My... little brother." Dozens of memories from their childhood together flashed through his mind, strengthening the awful aching in his chest.

_What am I supposed to live for without him? I... I had always believed he would become strong enough to kill me, and that would be it. I would end._

"And now I'm stuck alive, to live however much longer I have left."

_But I don't know if I can make it much longer... Everything depended on him._ Itachi thought, as a huge lump rose in his throat, his eyes starting to brim with tears.

The rogue shinobi let his head fall forward till his chin was on his chest. A cry broke from his throat as a fresh wave of sorrow swept over him. Itachi fell to his knees, sobbing softly, and cradled his face in the palms of his hands. A staggered breath caught in his throat and turned his soft sobs into loud ones.

Alone, and beaten, Itachi wept loudly without shame. Through his tears he cried, "It wasn't supposed to end like this! What am I supposed to do now?! EVERYTHING is ru-u-ined!" Itachi's voice broke on the last word, turning it into more sobs.

In the blink of an eye, all of Itachi's woes turned into a passionate, furious anger. Leaping to his feet, his slammed his fists to his forehead, in the same instant snatching them away, holding both fists up to the firmament, and shouted to the heavens, "WHERE IS THE JUSTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE?!"

As that last word exploded from his lungs, Itachi turned on his Mangekyo Sharingan and simultaniously used Amaterasu. The unholy black flames shot forth with amazing speed, burning everything to cinders that Itachi looked upon.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

As Itachi's wordless howl continued, so he continued to use Amaterasu to burn everything to the ground, till blood poured like a waterfall from his eyes, mixing with real tears.

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**So, thats it! For this part, at least. Hope you liked it! ^_^ Tell me what you guys thought of it, I'd love to know! Plus it will help motivate me more to have comments to read to update. :D**


	3. Blackness Into the Light Part 3

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, OR ANY OTHER CHARACTER IN THE SERIES 'NARUTO'. ONLY THE OC.**

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**This chapter is kind of short, I hope you don't mind. ^_^;; Enjoy!**

**....... I feel like I should be saying something here, but I can't remember what. T_T This is gonna bug me when I wake up in the morning. _;**

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Part 3

_I never got to tell him... how much he.... he really means to me._

A crystaline tear squeezed between his eye lids and slid down his cheek.

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A young girl around the age of 15 was walking along a path through the woods. The girl was a little short for her age, with long soft pink hair with lavender streaks running through it. Her bangs framed her face, while the longer hair in front was swept back in a high pony tail. Some of the hair in the back was braided into two pleats. She wore a delicate form fitting outfit with soft earth tons, and her eyes were like light blue windows: open to everyone. On one arm she held a basket filled with herbs and medicinal plants. Slung around one shoulder was a medium sized canteen of water. She paused for a moment to watch a beautiful butterfly with green and black striped wings, then continued her walk down the path.

She paused. Just up ahead she saw something. It didn't look right. It didn't look like the path she had walked on many times before. Taking a few steps towards it, a pungent, noxious smell hit her nose.

"What in the-- ?!" She mumbled to herself as she clamped a hand over her nose. "It smells absolutely fowl!" She gasped, her brow wrinkling as she boldly walked forward.

She stepped into a clearing filled with nothing but ashes and burnt tree trunks. "Oh, my-- !" She broke off in mid sentence, too horrified to complete the thought.

Even the ground was totally covered in ash.

_What could have caused this... such devestation?!_

Determined to try and find a clue as to how the forest had burned away so quickly, she strode forward with an even pace. Clouds of ash rose up around her feet as she stepped, then the wind would catch it and carry it away. She coughed every few seconds for the stench was horrendous.

The once beautiful forest, now ashen and burnt to nothingness, stretched as far as the girl could see. Compelled, she continued to walk, not aimlessly, to find the cause of it all. It was like a magnat was pulling her, constantly, to the source of the burnt forest.

After three hours of walking, she was starting to get tired. "Whatever caused this must be gone by now. I should probably turn back or else father will begin to worry."

With that, she turned around to head back the way she came, but something to her left caught her eye.

"Huh? I wonder what that could be?" She asked herself aloud, and began to walk cautiously toward the unknown mass.

After about 20 feet, she began to be able to make out a shape. "Clothes? No, wait, I think I see hair...... "

The young lady leapt over a burnt tree trunk, not trusting it to put her weight on it.

"Yes, I think I do see hair. Is-- is it _dead_? It doesn't appear to be burned like everything else.... "

Now only a few feet away she could make out a pale foot wearing a sandal. "A foot?" She said, surprised.

Upon reaching it, she stooped down for a better look.

"It's-- it's a _man!"_ She blinked in surprise and tentaviley reached a hand out towards it. "Is he dead? He doesn't _smell_ dead."

She placed her hand on the shoulder and tried to roll him over, but he was too heavy. "He's still warm... " She breathed, shocked.

The girl got up, and walked around to the other side. The man's arm was on his head, so she couldn't see his face. Moving it aside, she suddenly dropped it, gasping. His face was covered in dried blood!

She shrieked and took a step back, turning her face from the scene. Regaining her composure, she turned back around to examine him more. Unlike his surroundings, the man was not even the slightest bit burned. Even his clothes were in tact, all though quite rugged. Stuble covered his chin, almost half an inch in length. It looked quite unkept, so she figured he didn't let it grow out on purpose.

"What happened to you??" She asked puzzled, moving a lock of hair from his face. Compassion gripped her heart, and moved her to action. She bent to her own clothes and ripped a few inches from it. Then, taking her canteen from around her shoulder, popped the cap and then filled the shredded cloth with water. Gently, she began to clean the blood from his face, which she noticed it wasn't above his lower eye lids.

_Thats odd..._ She thought as she gently wiped the blood from his bottom eye lids. _What caused him to bleed like this? I don't see any open wounds._ She wondered.

When his face was as clean of blood as she could get it, she knelt in the ashes and picked up his head and cradled it in her lap. She folded the wet cloth to a clean part, then wiped some dirt away she noticed on his forehead, and moved another lock of hair, and examined his face.

_He looks so young... Not much older than me, anyways._

As the wind stirred, it blew a piece of ash onto the mans face. Picking it off, she piered closer. It was then that she noticed something about his features.

"You look soo sad. What could cause someone this much pain?" She said to the unconscience man, a frown creasing her forehead. Deeply moved by the strangers sorrow, the young girl bent over to lightly embrace him.

"I'm so sorry!" She whispered.

Straightening up, she saw that his lips were dry like paper.

"Oh! I should be more concerned with keeping you _alive_ for the moment, shouldn't I?!"

As she spoke, she took her canteen and removed the lid. Placing her free hand under his head and picking it up slightly, she put the canteen to his mouth, and used the edge of it part his lips, then his teeth. The girl slowly began to poor the water into his open mouth a little at a time. Seeing that it wasn't going down his throat because his tongue was so swollen, she just let a little of the water cool his tongue down. When the strangers tongue had shrunken enough, the girl began to poor more water into his mouth. Though he was out cold, instinct told him to swallow.

After a few moments of drinking, he began to splutter weakly, and his eyes opened to slits. His parched mouth began to move, air rasping from his lungs.

"S-s-sasu-sasuke-kun. No, Sasuke-k-kun." His voice was barely above a whisper.

His eyes fluttered for a brief second, then closed again as his head lolled to the side.

"Sasuke-kun?" The girl repeated the strange word, wondering at it's origins.

Shrugging her shoulders, the young lady became filled with determination to save this young man. Surely he would parish if he did not get help soon. Softly placing his head back on the ash covered ground, she stood, turned around and put one leg over the young man's stomach. She squatted till she could reach his hands, then, as lightly as she could, hefted him onto her own back. She was both shocked and saddened to feel how light he was. It was absurd how easy it was to carry him because of how light he was. It must have been a long time indeed since his last meal. Doggedly, she made her way back to village, arriving well after dark.

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**Love it, hate it, leave me a comment! Especially if you love it, because comments encourage me to write more. :D**

**You know how a lot of uber fangirls put themselves in fanfics as original characters, and then put the OC with the character they have an uber crush on? Well, this isn't one of those fics. I didn't think it would make any sense for Itachi to end up with a girl from one of the 5 countries, so I did a lot of making-up-on-the-spot, because how weird would it be if one of them just showed up out in the middle of NO WHERE, when Itachi has walked miles and miles and miles and miles, etc. ? Plus, I don't get crushes on cartoon characters. :/ That'd be just weird. Especially since I'm married. And it'd be just weird. -is not THAT kind of fangirl- ;p**


	4. Blackness Into the Light Part 4

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, OR ANY OTHER CHARACTERS OR CONCEPTS OF THE 'NARUTO' SERIES! JUST ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.**

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Thanks to everyone who read and commented! I really do appreciate it SOO much! =D *gives cookies to commenters* :P~

There you go! Part 4! This one may not be very interesting, but I'll let you decide. Hope I don't disappoint! :D

ENJOY!

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Part 4

Darkness.

Itachi was in complete darkness.

_What happened?_

Nothingness.

The meaning of time. The meaning of life. The feeling of being alive, the five senses... Nothing.

And then...

Silent voices.

No, not silent. Just quiet. Whispering.

_What happened to me?_

"Mmmm..." Itachi moaned quietly, his eyes clenching slightly, his head turning a little.

"Sssh, he's waking up!"

"Be quiet!"

"I am, look! He's moving." Her voice quivered with anticipation. Or anxiety.

"Go get my father, quick!"

"Okay!" Footsteps pattered away, fading seconds later.

Soft footfalls approached, light breathing with it. A gentle breeze could be felt. Smelled like... chamomile?

_Chamomile... ? Thats odd... Smells good, though._

Warm, soft pressure could be felt on his face. A hand. Slowly, the half awake man moved his arm up to grab at the hand on his face. Half way to the hand, memories of the recent past flooded his mind like a broken dam had been opened. Instantly, his eyes filled with tears, and an involuntary shiver went up his spine. In almost the same instant he cried out his brother's name, the bitter taste of anguish filling his mouth, his mind, his body. Het let out a wordless scream, keening his grief. When he finally lay silent, he fell into a heavy, troubled sleep where he received little real rest.

The hand jerked back, trembling. Round light blue eyes gazed horror-stricken at the stranger. What could cause him this much agony?

_He is truly a tormented soul... _ She lamented, her own eyes filling with tears.

"What a soft heart you have, my daughter." A soft craggy voice said.

"Father! I didn't hear you come in!" She turned to glance at the hand he had rested on her shoulder, then looked up into his eyes.

"I wouldn't have heard me either with the racket this man was making." He said, smiling not unkindly at her.

"He has suffered a great loss, father, I can feel it. This may just be me, but he practically resonates with… _loss_, with _grief_. I wish I could help ease his suffering. I've always hated it when someone suffers. I just can't stand it."

"You have always been too compassionate, Akiko-chan. There is no need to make others problems your own." Replied her father, his face portraying his concern.

Suddenly, the strangers left arm jerked violently, bumping something in his inside pocket. Something cylandrical fell to the floor, then a folded sheet of paper floated down after it.

"What is that, my child?" Akiko's father asked, pointing at the paper and vial.

"Huh? Oh, I don't know. Lets see." She bent over and picked the folded paper and vial. Looking to the note first, she read it aloud.

"**Dear Itachi-kun,**

**The eyes are for you. Tobi retrieved them from Sasuke's body after Deidara blew himself up.**

**Apparently, Sasuke had put some kind of protection jutsu on his own eyes. Or perhaps Orochimaru did. Who knows? **

**For what, I don't know, so don't ask me. But I guess Tobi thought you'd want them for some reason. So, here you**

**go. I hope they bring the light back to your blackness.**

**Kisame-kun."**

Without warning, Itachi's hand shot out, grabbing the girls wrist that held the vial. Shocked, and a little frightened, the girl and her father looked down at the owner of the hand. Itachi glared up at Akiko and her father, his brow furrowed in contained rage. His brow ridges quivered, another testament to his anger.

"That. Is. _Mine._" Itachi said giving them a piercing gaze, his voice quivering, livid.

Akiko's father was too stunned to speak, and starred open-mouthed at the shinobi.

Akiko slowly shook her head back and forth, shaking visibly. That gaze....

"I-I-I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't realize... " She stuttered, her whole body atremble. "H-h-he-re, take it-- take it!"

She let go of the vial, her hand shaking violently now. Within the same second, Itachi let go of her wrist and caught the vial before it hit the floor. As soon as he let go, Akiko fled from the room stuttering an apology. Her father quickly followed her out, closing the door behind him.

Itachi glared after them and once the door was closed he collapsed, exhausted onto the bed. The rogue was so malnurished that just to exert that much effort had exhausted all his strength. He gasped for breath a few times, holding the vial in front of his face. It was nearly impossible to see, but Itachi knew that his beloved brothers eyes were floating inside the vial. Then he passed out.

Memories from a forgotten age floated through Itachi's mind while he was passed out.

_Mentally, Itachi was beginning to prepare himself for the assault on Uchiha that very night. But before he could finish preparations, there was something his heart made him feel compelled to do. Say good-bye._

_Sitting on the wall that separated the Uchiha Clan from the rest of Konoha, sixteen year old Itachi paused momentarily to take in the whole village, ANBU mask in place. Not far from his perch was the place he called home. Leaping off the ramparts, he landed lightly on his feet, __and silently made his way to his home, for what he knew to be the last time. He removed the mask and placed it in a pack on his back_

_The ANBU teenager walked into the home of his parents and was suddenly met by his younger brother._

_"Welcome home, Itachi-kun!" Sasuke greeted him warmly, wrapping his older brother in a welcoming hug._

_Itachi returned the hug, and ruffled his hair, smiling fondly at him._

_"How was your day, Sasuke-kun?" He asked, smiling lovingly at the young Uchiha boy._

_Sasuke frowned, and looked down, putting a finger in his mouth. He quickly looked back up, a wide grin on his face._

_"Much better, now that you're here!" He declared, adoration glowing from him. "But I'm about to go to the Academy!" Sasuke announced, puffing up his chest._

_Itachi gave a low chuckle, his heart swelling to fill his chest with the love he had for Sasuke. Abruptly, he remembered his orders for this night, and was almost completely overwhelmed by a massive wave of sadness of what was to come, and by what his future would be like after that moment. It would tear the heart from his chest to do it, but it __**would**__ be done. For Sasuke._

_"Will you show me how you use the windmill shuriken, Itachi-kun?" Sasuke asked, his eyes becoming wide as saucers._

_Itachi let out a short burst of laughter, saying "Ooh, can those eyes get ANY bigger?"_

_Sasuke giggled softly, grinning at his older brother. "Will you?"_

_A shadow of regret appeared in Itachi's eyes as he gazed into the hopeful face of his brother._

_Taking his first two fingers on one hand, the ANBU jabbed Sasuke lightly in the forehead and said, "I'm afraid not today. I just stopped in real quick to wish you good luck at the Academy today. I'll see you later though, okay?"_

_Itachi smiled sadly, thinking to himself 'I may never get to do that again…'_

_Sasuke noticed the difference in Itachi immediately, and asked, "Why do you look so sad, Itachi-kun?"_

_Itachi heaved a sigh, closing his eyes as he resisted the urge to cry. Why was it suddenly so hard to do his duty? The older brother stood up and turned around, knowing that if he did look into that face again he would break. "I'm not sad, Sasuke-kun. Just… tired, I guess. It's been a long day. I must go now, alright?"_

_Sasuke frowned deeply, only hugging his older brother tightly one last time before he walked out the door. Then Itachi left…_

_Outside the house, Itachi went around to a window he knew Sasuke would walk by. As his beloved only brother walked past, Itachi whispered to him, "This night will hurt you like never before, Sasuke-kun… I love you."_

_With that, Itachi glanced around quickly, then vanished._

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Soooo... How did you like it?! I worked REALLY hard on that last memory, and had to rewrite it several times before I had it jus right. Do you think it turned out okay? xD Me hope so. ^_^;

Another thing, if any of you see broken code like [i] or something with brackets, my bad. n_n; I'm posting this on a forum and to save time I just go ahead and enter the code WHILE I'm writting it.

As always, comments encourage me to keep writing. So, you know, comment your likes/dislikes, things of that nature. Thanks in advance! =D


	5. Blackness Into the Light Part 5

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, OR ANY OTHER CHARACTER IN THE 'NARUTO' SERIES! ONLY THE OC'S.**

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**This is how I typically do things. Once I get two chapters ahead, then I post the next one, which makes me only ONE chapter ahead. So when I've finished writing two chapters after the most recently posted, then I update. :D**

**Kudos, brownie points, cookies, AND my thanks go to everyone who read and comment on my last chapter! ^_^**

**Hope you enjoy my latest installment! :D  
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**Part 5**

Akiko crept silently towards Itachi's bed, straining to see if he was awake or not. He was facing the wall so it was kind of hard to tell.

"You can stop trying to be sneaky. I know you're there." Itachi spoke softly, not bothering to turn over and look.

The girl stopped dead in her tracks, frozen to the spot. A moment later, she relaxed and walked over to the bed Itachi lay on and sat on a stool she had placed there earlier.

"Oh, sorry." She mumbled, hanging her head down, embarrassed to be caught.

Itachi sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them he turned to face Akiko. His eyes were half closed, too weak to even open them all the way.

"I'm sorry... Akiko-san. About earlier. I didn't mean to frighten you and your father." He spoke softly to his rescuer.

Akiko's head shot up and she looked nervously at Itachi. She fumbled with the hem of her shirt, unsure what to say.

"You didn't really frighten us, so you don't have to apologize. It just... s-surprised us, is all." She scrambled, refusing to look directly into his eyes again. Once... was enough.

"If you say so." Was all he replied. He slowly closed his eyes the rest of the way.

_**GERLLL!**_

Akiko and Itachi both looked swiftly towards his stomach. A slow blush crept over the Uchiha's face, realizing that Akiko had heard his stomach growl as well.

Akiko then jumped off the stool, knocking it upside down. "Oh, right! I just remembered! You stay there, I'll be right back." She turned and dashed out the door. Her footsteps had just faded when he heard them again. They were much slower and cautious. When she got to his room, he saw she was carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming food.

"It's ramen. My families own special recipe and I made it myself. I hope you like it, Itachi-san." She said, smiling shyly as she stood by his bed waiting for him to sit up.

"F-for me?" He stuttered, surprised, and a little touched. "Smells good." He told her, attempting to sit up.

Sliding his arms up the side of the bed to give himself more support, he pushed on the bed frame. As soon as he started putting weight on his arms, they began to shake. Beads of sweat popped out all over his brow; he exhausted all his remaining strength trying to sit up. He collapsed back against his pillow, breathing heavily.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Itachi-san! I will help. Hang on!" She ran from the room again and was back a few seconds later carrying an arm load of pillows.

Carefully, and slowly, she pushed the pillows under Itachi's head and back. When she got the last one under he was sitting nearly all the way up. Akiko then gently pushed Itachi to the wall. She picked up the tray of ramen, sat on the edge of his bed as close to him as possible and set the tray on his lap.

"Father said that I would probably have to feed you, so I don't mind." She told him, staring at his face with kind eyes.

It did not go unnoticed by Itachi that she was refusing to make eye contact. It also did not go unnoticed by himself that his control over his emotions wasn't as tight as before, for just the tiniest trickle of guilt seeped in through his carefully fixed barrier on noticing she wouldn't look into his eyes.

"You're probably one of the first." He mumbled to her, his mind remembering nostalgic times.

"Huh? What did you say?" She blinked, looking at his mouth.

_You're probably one of the first innocent persons I've looked at with these eyes, and wasn't permanently scared of me afterwards._ He thought.

"Nothing. Never mind." He spoke more clearly that time.

"Oh. Alright. Now, lets get something into that stomach of yours before it wakes the dead!" She smiled again, followed by a cute little giggle.

Without moving his head, for it would have been too great an effort, Itachi looked at her through the corners of his eyes. He could barely make her out through the thick dark haze that was his vision.

_Why isn't she still afraid of me? _ Was the only question Itachi could think. He didn't know why, but he was glad. Grateful, even.

Picking up the chopsticks from the tray, Akiko took hold of them with her fingers and picked up a few noodles with them. Bringing the bowl and chopsticks closer to Itachi's face, she began to slowly feed him, bit by bit. It didn't seem to bother Akiko the least bit, but Itachi looked, and felt, a tad awkward and embarrassed. When nothing was left but the broth, Akiko put the chopsticks back on the tray and held the bowl with both hands as she slowly, slowly, tipped the bowl so Itachi could drink the warm broth. When he was finally done eating, Akiko wiped Itachi's mouth, then started walking back to the kitchen with the tray. Just outside the room where Itachi couldn't see her, she turned back to look at his room. A blush rose to her cheeks, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.

"Thank you." Itachi mumbled as she walked out his bedroom door.

That night, Itachi lay in bed, awake, thinking about Sasuke. Tears quickly formed and slid down his cheeks, yet again burning twin paths on his face. He sniffled, holding back the tide of sadness that threatened to engulf him. Itachi didn't want to fight it anymore. Why even try? Sasuke was his brother, and now he was dead. Didn't he have the right to mourn? As the thought occured to him, he let the tides wash over him, sinking in to the marrow of his bones.

The rogue shinobi's breath began to come in short jagged gasps, letting it out in sobs that shook his body. Itachi clenched his eyes shut, squeezing more tears out. Failing to realize it, his sobs had gotten just loud enough for everyone in the house to hear. That was the first night of many he cried himself to sleep.

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Akiko lay in her bed, listening to the stranger named Itachi cry. Her own eyes began to produce the salty liquid. She _hated_ it when someone cried. HATED. Especially when it was a man. There was just something about a grown man, _so_ strong, crying. What could hurt him so much as to bring him to tears? But **this** man wasn't just crying. He was sobbing. And she could hear him through the walls. Akiko was both intrigued and saddened by Itachi's immense heartache. Right then Akiko made a vow to herself that she would work hard towards bringing happiness back into Itachi's life.

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The night passed in a daze of pain and tears for Itachi. Some time close to sunrise, the young rogue thought that he might have fallen asleep, but was in such a fog most of the night that he couldn't tell, or remember. But when he came to, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, he noticed fragrance in the room. Reaching out towards the stool he knew to be near his bed, he found a vase full of something. Picking it up, he brought it to his face and inhaled deeply. Several different scents reached his nose at once, but he recognized none of them, though they were all very pleasant to sniff. Bringing one hand up to feel the contents of it, he noticed that whatever it was, was soft, and cool to the touch.

_Flowers?_ He thought, startled. _I wonder when Akiko put these in here?_ It was such a lovely sentiment....

Later that morning, Akiko and her father came to talk to Itachi.

Itachi turned his head as they came in the room and greeted them.

"Is it morning already?" He softly asked.

"Yes actually. How did you sleep?" The father asked. He looked concerned for Itachi.

".... I didn't." He replied, his voice layered with grief.

"You didn't, hmm? I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps you will sleep better tonight." He said, sitting down on the stool, a look of knowing on his face. "Oh, and you may have noticed, but we took the liberty of shaving your face while you were out. It looked very unruly, and had briers and twigs and leaves in it. We also burned the clothes you had on, as they were extremely worn and tattered, and put some new ones, similiar to the ones you were wearing. Hope you don't mind." He smiled abashed at Itachi.

Itachi blinked, surprised. He _hadn't_ noticed. He brought a hand up to his chin to feel it. It was about as smooth as marble, and mumbled a polite 'thank you' to the elder. He moved on to examine his new clothes, and was felt a wave of nostalgic pleasure pass through him upon realizing they were nearly an exact match to the ones he wore under the Akatsuki robe, then mumbled another 'thank you'.

Akiko placed another stool by her father and sat beside him. She studied his face, as if for the first time. Akiko would have never guessed that such a... _cute_ face... make that _extremely_ cute face, had been behind that horrible stubley beard. Akiko blushed bright red, though it went unnoticed by both men.

"How do you like the flowers?" Akiko asked, anticipation and nervousness in her voice.

"They smell good. Thank you." He answered politely.

Blushing with pleasure, Akiko shyly said "Your welcome... Itachi-san."

Her father coughed to cover up his embarrassment, then got down to the point of their visit.

"Since you're finally awake, and can stay awake, instead of blacking out, I thought we should properly introduce ourselves. I am Uzumaki Takao, and this is my daughter, Uzumaki Akiko. I am the patriarch of this Clan." He stated, resting his hands on his knees.

Itachi cleared his throat and introduced himself, "Uchiha Itachi, sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan."

"Uchiha, eh? Sole survivor? That name rings a bell. A distant bell, but it's there."

By the way he said it Itachi sensed that the wheels were turning in Uzumaki Takao's mind. He was thinking of something.

"Uzumaki..... That's an unusual name. Where did it come from?" Itachi asked, his curiosity peeked.

"Ah. We are formerly of the Whirlpool Country. But no longer." Takao answered him, seemingly happy the man took interest.

"What country am I in?" Itachi asked, trying to make out Takao's features.

"What country? This is the Paint Country. What country are you from, son?"

"Fire." He replied, voice dull.

"You've traveled a long ways from home, son. A looong ways. I don't know how you made it so far in your condition."

"It hasn't been my home for years." He told them, sitting up just a little.

"Is that so? Well, I won't pry. Mans gotta have his privacy, that's what I believe. But anyway getting back to your condition. I took the liberty of examining you while you were passed out a few days ago. Oh, and by the way, I'm a doctor, so don't worry. You're eyes.... they are _amazing_. I have never seen anything like them before. But you are 98% blind in both eyes. Your insides... are-are-are in terrible shape. I'm afraid that without a cure, you will die very soon. Within a matter of weeks, actually. Perhaps less, but it is my professional opinion that you have a little longer than that."

Takao did not know that this was old news to Itachi, so he waited patiently for his ward to say something. Minutes ticked by, but Itachi said nothing, nor made any movements to.

Finally, Itachi spoke.

"I'm not concerned about the status of my health, Takao-sama." He replied, not disrespectfully.

Both Takao and Akiko's mouths slowly dropped open.

"Maybe you misunderstand me, son, _you are going to d-"_

"I know that I could possibly die, Takao-sama. I'm not concerned about it, though." He interrupted the old man, his voice even, low.

Akiko looked stricken when she heard him say that, her eyes opened wide with horror, her mouth on the floor. _Is he that miserable that he would just... give up?_ She thought, horrified.

Takao tipped his head slightly forward, eyes closed in thought.

"Hm. Very well, I can understand, as well as respect that. However, I just want to add one more thing. I can give you back your eye sight by implanting those strange eyes into your head. The ones in the vial. You may not live for much longer, but at least you'll be able to see again, even if only for a short time."

Itachi looked down at the blanket covering himself, thinking.

_I have felt dead inside since I heard of Sasuke's death.... Do I honestly want to keep on living this miserable life, for probably all eternity, without Sasuke? Would all that power be truly worth it... ?_

The more Itachi thought about it, the more a feeling rose up in his chest... Too have Sasuke's eyes... He would be close to his brother again. Itachi would give anything to be close to his brother again. To feel close to him, even for a little bit, in life would be no small blessing. Wouldn't that alone be worth it? Besides, when he was ready to be with his brother again, in death, he could just get Madara to kill him.

"If you're askig my permission to have the surgery, then you have it." Itachi said.

The former Akatsuki member laid all the way back in his bed, his energy spent.

Takao slapped his knees exuberantly, smiling brightly.

"Excellent, my boy! We shall give you a few days of being full-fed, as I assume you haven't been in quite some time, then we shall perform surgery on the fourth day!"

Laughing happily, Takao, got up and left the room, telling Akiko to fix the man some breakfast.

"Uh, yes father!" She replied obediently, then turned to smile gratefully at Itachi. Why, she didn't know.

She gently placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"My father is a wonderful doctor, Itachi-san. Don't worry, he'll fix you up right." She then went to fix him his morning meal.

_This girl.... Why is she so concerned about me? Why does this family even care if I live or die?_ He thought, as he closed his eyes to rest them.

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**Eh, maybe not some of my best writing for this chapter, but I enjoyed writing it nonetheless. ^_^ But an informative update, huh? Those are always good. lol Hope you enjoyed reading it just as much! ^_^**

**If you've gotten this far, I assume that you must like my writing/fic. If this is true, you must COMMENT! :D I'm a comment whore, so it helps the writing process. n_n;**

**(Btw, I'm already working Part 8 ;) So be expecting another update REEAAL soon!)  
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	6. Blackness Into the Light Part 6

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, SASUKE, OR ANY OTHER CHARACTER IN THE 'NARUTO' SERIES.**

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**Thanks to everyone who read and commented on my last chapter!!! I LOVE YOU! =D Okay, maybe not LOVE you love you, but I at least like you. :P And I appreciate the comments, as always. ^___^**

**Okay! Sorry it has taken so long. T_T My husband was being a douche bag. Yeah, it actually kept me from posting on here. xD Sorry! _ I wanted to post sooner. :(**

**Anywho! Another rather short chapter. Hope you don't mind too much. n_n;  
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**Part 6**

Itachi slowly, groggily opened his eyes, his vision blurry at first. He blinked a few times to clear his eyes, rubbing one with his right hand. When his eyes finally focused, the missing-nin was shocked, though not surprised, that he could see perfectly again. Like he could when he was still a hero in Sasuke's eyes…

The rogue shinobi fought back a flood of grief trying to over-take him, but he stubbornly fought it off, blinking away tears. Itachi _was_ however surprised that he still had tears to shed.

_Well, I guess I shouldn't be TOO surprised… I haven't cried since that night; I've been repressing all my emotions since then. _He thought, trying to pull himself together.

He never allowed him to admit it to himself, but in his heart of hearts, he inwardly wept with anguish every time he had to fight Sasuke. Itachi always just pushed it back, and kept doing what he _had_ to do in order to save Sasuke, AND the village.

He slowly sat up, and immediately noticed a bouquet of flowers next to his bed. Every morning since that first one where he discovered flowers, there had been a bouquet waiting for him. Itachi still didn't know when she placed them in his room, since he was fairly sure he was awake all night.

The solitary Uchiha lethargically swung his feet over the side of his bed. He noticed that Takao-sama was standing in the door way watching him with a guarded expression. Itachi paid no more attention to the elderly man as he noted a drastic change in his body. During the 3 days before the surgery he had forgotten all about the benefits he would be getting by having Sasuke's eyes. He had had only room for grief, though that was all he probably still had room for.

Strength had returned to his limbs, his body. He could take full breaths, and felt no rattling inside his lungs. His eyesight was perfect, his back strong. Energy flowed through his body like he hadn't felt since his days as an ANBU, before the Mangekyo. Before, he had known he was a powerful shinobi. But now, he felt _invincible_. Almost god-like. Completely revitalized, Itachi stood up, arms at his side as he greeted Takao-sama, and for the first time got to see what he looked like.

Uzumaki Takao looked like he was in his mid to late 60's, a bushy white mustache on his upper lip, and a shiny bald head. A clean-shaven white beard covered his chin and jaw bone area. A beautiful bark red cane was in his right hand, and he was stooped over, putting half his weight on the cane. He looked like he was just becoming frail, so was still pudgy. His body hadn't quite gotten used to being old and more neglected. He was also dressed in white robes, and tan sandals were on his feet. There were blue tattoos on his face starting at the center of his forehead and coming down around the side of his face to taper to a point just above his jaw line.

Bewilderment flashed across Itachi's features for the briefest of seconds, thereupon it was gone and he asked "Takao-sama?"

The old man smiled at Itachi, nodding his head. "Didn't know what I looked like till this moment, did you?" He asked.

His features blank, the former Akatsuki member shook his head almost imperceptibly. Where he would normally conquer the embarrassment coloring his cheeks, Itachi did not. His brother's death had not only broken his heart. Moments later, he managed to swallow his embarrassment.

Takao walked closer, syncing the use of his cane with the same hand holding it.

"How are your eyes healing, Itachi-san?" The doctor asked, his brow creasing with consideration.

Itachi looked, for a moment, as if he were disoriented, turning his head sharply slightly to one side, then up to look at the ceiling briefly, and finally back at Takao, thereto replied softly, with care, "Perfectly." He intentionally left out the part about his body being completely disease free. Why did Takao need to know that?

Dr. Takao broke into a wide smile, laughing gaily, "Excellent, most excellent!" He slapped Itachi's back twice in his exuberance, forgetting that he thought the young man was still gravely ill.

"I... " Itachi started, unsure how to precede. He finally decided to go with a basic 'thank you'. "I wanted to thank you, Takao-sama, I--"

Dr. Takao held up a hand to stop the missing-nin from finishing. "No thanks are in order, son. Any decent human being would have done the same. Say no more, only listen." He told him, resting his hand on Itachi's shoulder to gently push him back to a sitting position. "Besides, you can't be completely rested up yet. You nearly died!" The good doctor said, patting Itachi's shoulder.

"I recall that you told us that you don't call the Fire Country your home anymore?" Takao inquired, not intending to be nosey.

Itachi looked away from the doctors face, his own face blank, emotionless. "Thats right." He answered, purposefully not saying anything else.

"Where do you plan on going after you leave here, if you don't mind my asking?" The clan patriarch questioned, his reasons pure.

"I will probably continue east." His face still blank as he replied.

"Have you ever been that far before? Any place specifically you're going to?" Takao continued his query.

Itachi wondered at the old mans purpose behind asking this line of questions, but answered him truthfully, "No, I haven't. And no, there really isn't a specific place I have in mind."

"Hmmm. I see." The doctor rubbed his chin, pondering what Itachi just told him.

Itachi could tell he was going to ask him something, so he waited patiently for the old man to say what he came there to say.

"Uchiha Itachi, I, Uzumaki Takao, Clan Patriarch, officially ask you to stay with us till you see fit as an appropriate time for you to leave; be it tomorrow, or never. We will welcome you either way. We would gladly accept you into our family." Uzumaki Takao stood, proudly throwing out the offer for Itachi. "Think it over, Uchiha Itachi You've got time. No one will blame you for wanting to mull it over for a spell."

Itachi's mouth slowly fell open at what the doctor had just said. He was completely astonished by the offer, and could see that it was genuine. Never had he expected Uzumaki Takao to be so generous.

_But why?_ he asked himself.

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**If you enjoyed reading this recent installation then you must leave a comment! Because... it... would be rude not to? o.O; And I'll give you another cookie. -hands you a cookie- There! NOW you have one! Comment, and you'll get another. ;P XDD**

**I just love writing this fic. XD It's so much fun! Alas, I may not have very much time in the near future to write... the chapter I'm working on right now... because me and my hubby are in the process of moving. And we gotta pack up all our/my stuff in my room. And then we'll have to move all of my big ss furniture, drive ALL the way to the apartment (several miles away), then somehow get them upstairs. And my dressers are NOT light. They're like... expensively good quality heavy stuff. (Have you ever noticed that cheap furniture is like, really light, and the good stuff is heavy?) So yeah. Fuuun times! :D _ Wish me luck!**


	7. Blackness Into the Light Part 7

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, SASUKE, OR ANYTHING FROM THE SERIES NARUTO. ONLY THE OC'S.**

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**Thanks to everyone who has been reading my fanfic and leaving comments! I lu U. xD Especially randomfangirl and mah friend from TF Gaara. ^_^;; HERE! Have a WHOOOLE plate full of cookies!! *hands everyone a plate full of freshly baked cookies* :P It's your favorite kind, too. ;p**

**A moderatly long post. Sorry I didn't post this sooner. I just realized the day before yesterday that Part 9 was complete as it was. :P I had a huge brainstorm earlier today when I was at work, so in my mind this fanfic is already complete. XD YAY! I'm so excited. xD It'll be epic. _Epic_. I hope. n_n;**

**Anywho, presenting to you, my fans and readers, Part 7!**

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**Part 7**

The next day, Itachi felt completely recovered, and got out of bed by himself. He rubbed his eyes in case he were dreaming that he could see again. Relief washed over him for a moment before he remembered whose eyes were in his head. Grief choked him and drained his body of strength. Bowing his head, Itachi brought a hand to his face and ran his middle finger and thumb over his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose. The shinobi involuntarily shuttered, and desperately pushed back the grief to an uncrippling level. It was impossible _not_ to think about his brother.

As he expected, there was another bouquet of flowers next to his bed. They were an array of different colors, all vibrant in their shades of blue, purple, yellow, red, and gave off a pleasant odor. He leaned over without thinking and inhaled deeply.

Inwardly sighing heavily, Itachi left his room for the first time. Both ways he looked there was a long hallway with doors on both sides. The right side turned left, and the left side opened into another room. The Uchiha turned right and started walking down the hall. As he started to turn the corner, he walked straight into someone. The person, who had been walking briskly, was knocked to the floor.

"Takeshi-kun!" She growled, "Watch where you- Oh! Itachi-san! I thought you were someone else, I-I'm sorry." She spluttered, when a hand was reached out to her.

Taking the offered hand, Itachi pulled her to her feet. His hand was strong and tough. Something about them gave her the impression that Itachi was very much used to using weapons. The young lady blushed a light shade of pink when he gripped her hand in his.

"Are you okay, did I hurt you? You probably shouldn't be out of bed with as sick as you." She said, very concerned.

Itachi looked at her, studying her features. She had long soft pink hair with lavender streaks all over. Her face was framed by her bangs, and she wore the rest up in a high pony tail, which still nearly came down to her waist. She had a very open face. Her eyes were sky blue, much lighter than the Jinchuuriki. Her face was slightly oval shaped, her chin was beautifully cleft, cheekbones high, but soft, and her nose quite delicate. Her lips were pleasingly plump, though not overly so. Had Itachi not been grieving so, he would have thought her a very pretty young woman.

"... Akiko-san?" He asked, though fairly sure it was her. The voice matched. Her blush lost on him.

Akiko nodded, the corners of her mouth barely turning up in a smile, as she took a finger and put some hair behind her ear. She glanced up into his eyes for the briefest of seconds, looking down to his shoulder. His black hair was not up anymore, and was lose around his shoulders. It came down to the same place hers did when up. Oh, my goddess, he looked to die for with his hair down like that. Akiko resisted the urge to drool, and instead, blushed. Beet red. She couldn't believe she had had a thought like that!

"Did I hurt you?" He asked, his face expressionless, though his voice portrayed some level of concern. Barely.

"Did you hurt me... ?" She repeated the question, looking surprised. She remembered how weak and light he had been when she first brought found him. "No, not at all. I'm actually a little surprised you didn't fall down instead." She stated, not really sure how embarrassing a thing she just said.

"Hm. That's good. I feel fine, though. I'm a lot better." He told her, voice even, staring into her face for a few short seconds before looking over her head so it wouldn't be so hard for her to avoid his gaze.

"Oh, well... in that case, may I ask... ? How are _you_?" She looked up into his face, concern etched into her lovely features.

It was obvious to Itachi that there was hidden meaning in that last question. He recalled how he wept over the loss of his brother every night, too weak from holding back the torrent of grief all day long. He decided to ignore the hidden meaning, and pretend like he didn't notice it. But how could she know that there was possibly something else wrong with him, not physically, but emotionally? Was it possible that she knew he cried at night? No, that couldn't be it. He was sure he kept his noise level low enough that no one else could hear... Maybe she had snuck into his room at night, or stood outside the door and listened? Well, at any rate, Akiko didn't need to know.

"I.... I've never felt better." He lied, feeling the tiniest bit guilty about it. On the contrary, though he was physically in top condition, inside he felt like he was rotting; rotting from his lamentations. A mere shadow of his formal self. A shell without its hermit.

"Oh... Really?" The pink and purple haired girl asked, her voice tinged with disappointment. Not that she wished he were sick, but it gave her an excuse to be near him for a while longer. Now that he said he was better, which he DID look better, he could be leaving any day.

"Yes." Was his simple reply.

"Well, listen, I'm about to go make breakfast, so if you go walking around, just be back in about an hour, okay?" She told him, before starting to walk down the hall towards the kitchen.

"I will." He replied, then, "Akiko-san, do you know where your father is?" Itachi asked, half turned to face her.

"He's outside. Take this left and you'll see a door on your right after several feet. That'll take you to the courtyard. In the courtyard, you'll see the front gate. Outside the gate, walk around behind the house to the shed. He's back there." Akiko instructed him before heading toward the kitchen.

As Itachi made his way to the gate leading out of the courtyard, he thought about what he was going to tell Takao-sama. The former Konoha ANBU knew he couldn't leave as of yet. He had acquired quite a debt of gratitude to these people for all they have done for him. He couldn't just walk away without saying good-bye, or showing his appreciation for their rescuing him and nursing him back to health. _And the eyes._ But he wasn't sure if he could stay forever, either. After being forced out of Konoha, he had become a wanderer, even while he was in Akatsuki, and after Sasuke's death, a wanderer. It was the only life he knew now.

Outside the gate, Itachi saw that he was in the middle of a medium sized village. Dogs barked with laughing children, birds chirped, toddlers giggled, screamed, cried, women sang, men worked on various things. The Uchiha slowly, almost lovingly, took in the sight before him. It had been so long since the last time he had anything this clear. In the neighbor's yard to the right he could see slender young house wife hanging up laundry while watching her two young children play with a dog. Just ahead of him he could see a couple of men moving a beam of wood to a building they were helping construct. Across from them was a ramen stand were an elderly woman with a kind face sang softly while preparing noodles. The neighbors to the left were having a picnic outside, two of the four children playing with a ball. Life here seemed so... easy. Care free. Peaceful. Was this the life Itachi wanted? Just then, one of the neighbors children, a young boy, noticed Itachi staring. He stopped, smiled and waved. He spoke a few short words to the two adults, and then ran over to Itachi.

"You must be Uchiha Itachi! I'm Uzumaki Takeshi. Nice to meet you!" He greeted him warmly, smiling up at the intriguing stranger.

Takeshi must have been around 7 years old. He had a round boyish face, dark brown hair and lively green eyes that danced when he spoke.

Itachi replied in kind, remembering that he heard Takeshi's voice some where before. Aaah, yes. The first morning he began to regain conscienceness. The other person he had heard, and Akiko had sent to get her father.

"I just came to say hello! I gotta go now, I'm having a picnic. Nice to meet you, Itachi-kun!" He shouted as he ran back to the yard he came from.

_Cute._ He thought, thinking. The boy almost reminded him of Sasuke. He was about the same age Sasuke was when...

Itachi made his way to the back of the house to find the elderly clan patriarch hammering on a flesh-melting hot piece of metal near a roaring flame under the shed roof. When Takao noticed Itachi watching him, he put down the hammer for a moment and smiled broadly at Itachi.

"Glad to see you up and about, my boy! Feeling better, I trust?" He inquired, before going back to his metal smithing.

"Yes, actually. I'm in top shape, thank you." Itachi replied, his voice level, face void of emotion. He tried his best to, for once, _not_ portray emotion.

He nodded in acknowledgement before saying "You do look rather well. A lot better, in fact. As if you're not even sick! I would like to give you another examination, if you don't mind. To see if the diseases have progressed." The doctor said, pausing another moment in his hammering.

Itachi's eyes snapped up, looking straight into Takao's eyes, then away again. "I... really don't think that is necessary." He said an edge in his voice.

Takao paused in mid blow and gazed evenly back at Itachi, his mouth a straight line. He thought for a moment, trying to proceed with caution. "... That so?"

The shinobi gave a curt nod, but said nothing more. He was hoping that the old doctor would not inquire further. Takao simply grunted in compliance, the wheels turning in his head, then struck the metal again. As he continued to strike the metal, reheat it in the fire and pump the billows, the clan patriarch asked Itachi the question he had posed to him the day before.

"Have you thought about my proposal any, Itachi-san?" He shouted it to be heard over the roar of the fire.

"Yes, I have. But before I give you my answer, I want to ask you something." He shouted back, taking a couple steps toward him.

"Yes?"

"Why do you want me to stay here?" The question hung in the air for a few minutes while Takao finished pumping the billows.

"I may be too old to continue doing this before long. It's a good hobby, being a black smith. But the village has more call for a doctor, so I am a doctor. Fortunately, being a doctor doesn't require as much physical work!" The doctor black smith said, stalling for time, or so Itachi thought. "Where would you go, Itachi-san? You have no home to return to, or go to. Which I assume means you have no family waiting for you.... thinking of you. Why _not_ stay here? Every man needs a place he can call his own. It's his right." He said, very sagely. "And neither I, nor my clan see any reason to begrudge you that here."

If there was another reason, it remained to be unknown.

Itachi felt honored that the old man, and his entire village, trusted him enough to invite him to stay with them. Though the old doctor didn't say it, he was basically giving him an open opportunity to 1. Have a home i.e. start over, and 2. Pay them back for all that was done for him.

"I can't promise I'll stay here forever, but I will stay for a while. At least long enough to pay you back for all you have done for me. It would be the least I can do." Itachi didn't know if he succeeded in sounding earnest or not. He was SO used to speaking in a monotone, that he wasn't sure if he remembered how to sound earnest. Uchiha Itachi hoped so.

Takao smiled crookedly, hefting the hammer in his hand once more. "Very good. I'm sure Akiko-chan will be very pleased to hear this." He said to himself as Itachi walked away after seeing the doctor's smile.

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**Will Itachi ever emotionally recover from the loss of his beloved brother? Will he stay with the Uzumaki Clan? That remains to be seen.**

**No, Takeshi has no real purpose in this fic, other than freaking Itachi out. Thats not TOO horrible of me, IS it? Do you think thats a bad thing? _**

**So, you guys and gals, tell me what you think! Please. :P And leave comments. They really do help in motivating me to post more. ^_^**


	8. Blackness Into the Light Part 8

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, SASUKE, OR ANYTHING ELSE FROM 'NARUTO'. ONLY THE OC'S. ;)**

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**Thank you so much to everyone who read my last chapter and commented! Cookies for everyone! *dishes out cookies* YIPEEE!**

***cough***

**I found my thesaurus/spellchecker electronic device! YAY! Now I have something to check my spelling when I can't use Word! SWEET! :D**

**O_O**

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**Anywho...**

**This chapter is longer than the last. YAY! ^_^  
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**I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! (which is quite a bit, let me tell ya) =D**

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**Part 8**

The days passed at a moderate rate after Itachi decided to stay to at least repay his debt. The missing-nin made himself useful in all manner of ways. Takao-sama and Akiko-san both wanted him to start out slow so he wouldn't strain himself unduly. First, he helped out in the kitchen, helping Akiko prepare meals when she needed an extra hand, cleaning up spills, cleaning dishes, moping and sweeping floors, and various other house work that didn't require a lot of effort.

During his kitchen duty, Akiko would talk to him, trying to get him to open up to her, relax around her. After a few days, Itachi found himself talking back to her, making it, finally, a two-way conversation. If she inquired about something he felt was too personal, or painful, to discuss, he said nothing for a while till she learned not to ask him such questions. The rest of the time they would talk of innocent things, nothing _too_ revealing, but Akiko felt as if she were growing closer to Itachi, like she was getting to know him just a little. Her feelings for the older man deepened, and had it not been for his weeping at night, she would have thought she was making progress with her vow. Alas, he spoke not of the past; neither did he bring it up in any way. Akiko resolved not to give up on him. Surely he was not a lost cause.

When Itachi finally started conversing with Akiko he didn't realize that his sorrow and thoughts of his brother slowly receded to the back of his mind. The grief over Sasuke's death seemed to slumber like a hibernating bear during their conversations, only waking up at night when Itachi was alone in the dark, with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. Itachi found it impossible to think of anything else with the darkness surrounding him, reminding him of being nearly blind not that long ago. Before he could fall asleep, his ability to see clearly always made him think of Sasuke more, and his emotions would take a nose dive. He just couldn't stop himself; stop the tears. He didn't want to. How could he? After years of trying to secure Sasuke's hate for him to revenge their family and kill him, making him a hero in the eyes of Konoha... His love for his younger brother was the paramount aspect of his personality. These nightly thoughts of Sasuke shoved nearly all his thoughts of Akiko out.

But speaking with Akiko, whom he had learned was 16, all this time had stirred up unknown, or perhaps just buried, emotions inside Itachi. He could sense that she wanted to know him personally, and that she was trustworthy. But years of keeping everything locked up inside prevented him from speaking what was in his heart... what was _always_ on his mind. There was also the fact that she wouldn't understand how he felt, all the horrible acts he had committed, or all the things he had gone through only to get to this point..... If _anyone_ in this clan ever found out what he had done, there was no doubt that they would banish him. And probably warn all nearby villages of him.

It just occurred to Itachi that it had become important to him. Important to him to stay in this place, in the Clan of the Uzumakis. He hadn't even realized it till just now, but it was true. When did it happen? He didn't know the answer to that. Itachi had another startling revelation: He had a friend. Two, if he counted Takao-sama. Akiko and Takao were his first real friends since he had killed his _own_ best friend so many years ago. The descendant of Madara Uchiha didn't know when they had become his friends. He could barely remember what it felt like back then, but _now_... Now it was good, pleasant. He couldn't think how to describe it, but it was definitely a positive to staying here.

After a couple of weeks of house work when it seemed Itachi could handle it well, they moved him outdoors. Feeding the koi in the pond and in the fountain, cleaning out the pond, keeping the yard trimmed, chopping wood, building and painting fences and other things of that nature. Itachi worked tirelessly, from the time he woke up, till the evening meal, putting his back into every task. It was during his outdoors work that the shinobi began to feel disturbed.

The child Takeshi seemed to adore Itachi. The young Uzumaki made a habit of watching Itachi work daily, often doing things around the Uchiha man meant to impress him. Sometimes he would ask Itachi if he would play with him, but before Itachi could reply, one of the other adults he was working with, or around, would tell Takeshi to leave Itachi alone so he could work.

It wasn't the boy's physical features that reminded him of Sasuke as much, it was his manner. How he acted around Itachi. At times the similarities were so disturbing that Itachi would slip up, and accidentally hurt himself, drop something, or someone else around him. It got to the point that when Takeshi came around for more than a few minutes, Itachi would take a break, and wait for Takeshi to leave. Itachi's time spent with Akiko had dulled the pain in his heart over time, but with the boy constantly reminding of his own little brother... what he was missing out on made the pain come roaring back to life, and he just couldn't stand it. When it started to get so bad that Itachi thought he might weep, he asked Takao-sama to keep the boy away from where he was working. Told him that he was a distraction, which wasn't too far from the truth. It made him feel bad to ask it, but he just couldn't stand the constant reminder of the past.

Over the passage of time, it seemed to Takao and his daughter, Akiko, that Itachi wasn't even sick. The Uchiha seemed so fit and strong that they wondered if they had just imagined that he had ever been sick in the first place. After a time of pondering this, Takao came to the conclusion that the disease was a slow killer and Itachi just had a strong immune system, as well as a strong will to live. On second thought, how could a man so eaten up with disease on the inside suddenly become 100% better? Itachi seemed to have made a full recovery when he had those eyes transplanted. Then it occurred to him.

_Could it be? Could it be that those EYES cured him? They were rather odd looking eyes. I suppose it could be possible... No matter. He has his health, and that's the most important thing._

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Finally, after a couple of months, Takao moved Itachi to the big projects of construction.

It was while Itachi was working on building a house for someone that Akiko came to talk to him. He was sitting on some boards that were hammered together to two beams at opposite ends.

Itachi paused in his work when he saw a pink haired figure making their way toward him. Briefly Itachi thought how beautiful she would look in the sunset.

"Itachi-kun? Are you alright?" A voice asked.

Itachi looked around, realizing the voice came from below. He looked down to see Akiko, concern plain on her face.

"Why do you ask?"

"You just had the strangest look on your face a minute ago. I've never seen you make that face before and I thought maybe you were getting sicker."

"Oh, no, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something. What's on your mind, Akiko-san?" He asked her, trying to distract the young woman from asking what he was thinking about.

"I was talking to father... He said that you weren't going to stay... ? Is it true, Itachi-kun? Is it true you're going to leave as soon as you've paid us back?" Akiko sounded hurt, incredulous even, disbelief reflecting in her eyes.

It hurt Itachi to see that Akiko was wounded by his indecision to stay. "Let's talk about this in private." Itachi said to her before leaping down. "Let's walk, shall we?"

"Okay, that's a good idea." Akiko said as she led the way.

She started toward the west, heading for a small cluster of trees. When they were more than half way there Akiko decided it was a good time start talking.

"I must know, Itachi-kun. Are you really going to leave us?" Her eyes reflected how much she was worrying about this.

Itachi looked down at the young woman who had become his first real friend in years. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't want to lie to her either.

"I never intended to stay here forever, Akiko-san. I've been a drifter since I was your age. I just wouldn't feel right staying here till I die."

_If I can even die now._

They finally reached the tiny grove of trees, and Itachi hesitantly placed a hand on Akiko's shoulder to try and console her. He removed it when he saw her blush.

"But.... _this_ is your home now, isn't it? It wouldn't be right for you to leave, knowing you could die any day, with no lo-- with no one who cares about you to bury you! Don't we mean anything to you, Itachi-kun?" Akiko pleaded with him, bravely staring back into the eyes that looked like they could kill.

Itachi sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. "It's not that, Akiko-san. Of course you mean something to me. You and your father are the first real friends I've had since... Well, for a long time now. But--"

"But what?! Are we not good enough for you, or something?? Is THAT it?!" Akiko interrupted him, practically shouting. Diminutive tears had formed in the corner of her eyes.

"No! No, that isn't it. Would you calm down, please? This isn't easy for me, either." He asked her, lowering his voice to a whisper while keeping an even tone.

Akiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out in a **whoosh**. "Sorry. I don't know what came over me. Can you at least tell me why?" She asked him, also lowering her voice to a whisper. The sixteen year old stared up into Itachi's eyes, love clearly showing in them. Akiko had grown closer to Itachi in the few months that had passed since he'd been here. Closer to him than she'd realized.

"I.... I don't know if I can." He whispered back, images of Sasuke and Takeshi flashing through his mind. A portion of the pain he felt when he looked at Takeshi and was reminded of Sasuke crept into his voice.

Several minutes ticked by in silence, neither Akiko nor Itachi looking at each other, each with their own thoughts. After what felt like a small eternity, Akiko worked up the courage to say something.

"I hear you crying at night. Does it have to do with your family? Is it because you miss them?" Sadness haunted her voice now like a ghost. Akiko could feel herself resigning to the notion of no more Itachi; to the thought of him leaving them forever; of leaving her.

Itachi felt as if he had been slammed against a brick wall. She heard him cry himself to sleep?! His jaw went slack and his eyes widened. He didn't know what to say, he couldn't think. It felt like someone had ripped a page from his diary and posted it on a bulletin board. Though he knew she couldn't help it if she heard him cry, he still felt violated somehow.

By looking at his face Akiko could tell she had touched on something very personal and sensitive to Itachi. The long haired Uchiha looked extremely distraught. She wondered if she was wrong in bringing it up, but she had to know why he insisted on walking out of their life to die alone. Wasn't it obvious how much she cared about him? Loved him, even?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Itachi speaking.

"You weren't meant to hear me." His voice was so low his words were almost swept away by a gust of wind.

Itachi's face portrayed a deep seeded pain known only to him, causing Akiko to instantly regret ever mentioning that she'd heard. Feelings of remorse wash over her as a blush crept over her face.

_What did I do…..?_

"I'm sorry." Akiko barely managed to squeeze passed her air ways before abruptly turning around and walking back towards her house.

Itachi watched her go before returning to work. He tried not to think about what had just happened. It was all too confusing. Why did the girl concern herself so much with him? Itachi groaned inwardly and rubbed his forehead with his index finger and thumb.

_I've repressed my emotions for so long that I've forgotten what a lot of them feel like._

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**So, how did you like this chapter? Comment and rate, please! :D You know how I simply love comments. They make me squee. ;p Yeah, I know, I'm a total kid. xD _At heart_, though. :P**

**Note to fans/readers: Be prepared for some drastic changes! _Thiiings_ are gonna happen! Because boy do I have plans for you. xD *evil cackle***


	9. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, OR ANYTHING IN THE 'NARUTO' SERIES.**

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**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter! *dances* Cookies AND cake for you! =D**

**This is a rather short chapter, so I apologize for that. BUT! The next chapter will be longer, I promise. ;)**

**Due to the fanfic being longer (much longer) than I originally planned, I have decided to change from "Part #" to "Chapter #".**

**Enjoy everyone!**

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**Chapter 9**

Next morning while Itachi was eating breakfast Akiko plopped herself down next to him. She sat there nervously, wringing her hands underneath the table, staring anxiously across the room. Not knowing what to do, Itachi continued to eat, waiting in an awkward silence for Akiko to say something.

"Um, listen, Itachi-kun… about yesterday, I—"

"Forget it." The shinobi cut her off, trying not to look at her. "Please, just forget about it." It came out more harshly than Itachi intended, and immediately lowered his voice.

Akiko looked up at him, consternation in her face.

"It would be best if you just… forget it." He said in the same hushed tones. "Please, Akiko-san."

"Okay. I understand… Itachi-kun." She agreed demurely.

Itachi finished his breakfast, put his bowl near the sink and went to stand by the door, placing a hand on the door frame. He half turned to look at her.

"I must get to work now." He spoke softly before making a hasty retreat down the hall.

Akiko sighed, blowing her bangs off her forehead. f_My poor friend. Still having such a tough time._

Later that day when Itachi was taking a lunch break on the work site, Akiko brought him a trey of hot tea. "Can I talk to you?" She asked, her face doubtful.

Itachi glanced up at her briefly before giving a tiny nod.

She handed him a cup, saying, "This is my own recipe for tea. I have a knack for knowing plants and made this particular mixture myself. Just the slightest bit too much of this certain kind of plant, and it kills you. It's also my secret ingredient. I would tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." She giggled, sticking her tongue out and winking at him.

Itachi took the cup of tea and sipped. It was very flavorful. It had a rich semi-sweet taste with some pungent herbs in it that added a delightful zing to it. He unconsciously made a soft 'Mmm' sound before mumbling his thanks.

"You very welcome, Itachi-kun." She smiled warmly at him, giving him time to take more sips and appreciate the taste and smell. Akiko became serious while he was drinking.

"I don't want you to leave."

Shocked silence. Itachi's eyes widened just a little.

"Father won't admit it to you, but he's come to rely on you quite a bit since your recovery. He needs you more than he can say. He's a proud old man, and aging has been hard for him. Can you understand that?" She told him, her eyes pleading.

Itachi nodded slowly once. "I can. Very well, actually."

"So does this mean you will stay?" There was so much more to him she wanted to say. She desperately wanted to tell him how she felt, but knew her feelings weren't reciprocated.

There was no way, Itachi felt, that he could have responded to that question with a solid answer, but so far it seemed that he would most likely leave. And yet… He couldn't explain it, but there was something about this place. He felt at peace here. Relieved of the usual things that burdened him down before. He could do an average man's work without the constant nagging thought in the back of his mind of trying to stay alive. Even still, Uchiha Itachi felt compelled to leave. What did he have to live for in this village?

_Just a little while longer I'll stay here. Just for a little while longer… _He would tell himself when he felt an invisible force trying to pull him away.

There was always one more project to work on. Always something else Itachi needed to do in order to show his gratitude. It was nearly an impossible task repaying someone for saving your life. Despite feeling only half alive with his younger brother dead, Itachi felt… To be honest, he couldn't explain _[i]what[/i]_ he felt, aside from a throbbing emptiness inside. He was surrounded by good, honest people, two of which he felt an especially close bond with. But what were they to him, exactly? Itachi didn't know, but a subconscious part of him really wanted to find out.

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**I will TRY and update soon. I don't know if I will be able to, because my husband is being a DICK and not letting me borrow his laptop, though I guess I can understand why... And the library will be closed from the 10th-14th for inventory of this month, and I doubt I will be able to get on at all during that time. I will be able to type more to my fanfic when my husband gets off work. xD**

**Thanks for reading!!! ^__^ =D Now, go and leave me a review telling me what you think. ^_^ :) Go! Please. It encourages me to keep writing. :D**


	10. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI OR ANYTHING FROM 'NARUTO'.**

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**Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed my chapter! They mean a lot to me, and just make my day when I can see that people enjoy what I write so much. ^___^**

**Sorry it has taken so long for this one. I tried like 3 times at my parents place but just wouldn't let me upload the document. :( But the internet in the apartment is behaving a little better, and my hubby is FINALLY letting me use it. :p Also, if I finish any more chapters this week I won't be able to upload them most likely because of the library doing inventory... :( Unless I go back to my parents again, which I doubt. So enjoy while you can! :D **

**REMEMBER!: REVIEWS = 3! ;P**

**This is one doozy of a chapter, you guys, so hold on to your butts! :D**

**Eat up! ^_^**

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**Chapter 10**

**4 Years later**

Twenty-five year old Itachi sat on the roof of his house in the Clan of the Uzumaki's. The sun was just beginning to show his rosy head in the early morning light of dawn. Black faded to navy blue, to ocean blue, purple, lavender pink, to red and orange. Birds began their morning chorus, waking up the other creatures in the vicinity. But Itachi barely noticed any of it.

_Four years. Has it really been four years?_ He thought, moving his bangs from his forehead.

He sighed wearily, his heart throbbing in his chest. Life seemed to stand still, and yet, he could feel it whizzing by. Itachi was still in his prime, thanks to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, but his heart felt old and weary. Worn from a life-times worth of grief. They said that time healed all wounds. Itachi knew better. Time did little to heal the true and depthless wounds of the heart, for Itachi still mourned the death of his brother, Sasuke, with every breath he drew.

When the sky was half lit by the sun, Itachi could smell food being cooked at the home of the Uzumaki Patriarch, cooked by his only child, Akiko, now twenty years of age. When she was done cooking, she would wheel her father into the dining area, then he would wait for her to go retrieve Itachi to join them for breakfast.

Still refusing to open up to anyone, Itachi did little of his own house cleaning. Mostly, he worked around the village to help better it, and he helped Takao-sama with his outdoor chores. He had suffered a stroke two years back and was unable to walk now, which also meant that he was unable to perform many of the tasks he was capable of doing before the stroke. Out of kindness, Itachi decided to stick around a little longer to help Takao. The former ANBU shinobi felt compelled to help the benevolent old doctor. Akiko took it upon herself to clean both her father's home and Itachi's.

Though Itachi felt he could never truly love someone again, he felt a special connection, a fondness, towards Takao-sama and Akiko-san. Akiko had saved his life once, and nursed him back to health. Takao had given him his brother's eyes, and as a result, saved his life, again, from death. Then they built Itachi a home to live in till the time came for him to leave. The things those two had done on his behalf were… amazingly gracious.

"Itachi-kuuun!" A melodic voice called out. "Are you up there? I've finished breakfast, and father is in the dining room. Why don't you come and join us?"

Itachi stood up and walked to the edge of his roof and looked down. He could see the lovely features of his savior, Akiko, looking up at him with concern on her face. "I'll be down in a second." He leapt down and landed gently beside her.

……

Takao and Itachi sat at the table while Akiko went to fetch breakfast. While they were alone, Takao took the moment to ask Itachi something.

"Itachi-san, there is something I would like to discuss with you later… alone. When you have a spare moment, that is. Would that be alright?" There was an undertone to Takao's voice that Itachi picked up on. He narrowed his eyes at the elderly doctor briefly before replying.

"It would be fine, -- "

Just then, Akiko brought in a large tray of food on it. "Order up!" She joked, smiling sweetly at Itachi and her father.

"You have your mothers talent for cooking, Akiko-chan! You'll make some lucky man very happy one day, I'll hazard a guess." Takao robustly proclaimed, looking lovingly upon his daughter.

Akiko blushed, pleased, while looking at Itachi through lowered lashes. "Yes, father." She said, shyly.

When the three were finished eating, Akiko took their dishes into the kitchen to wash them. Itachi took this opportunity to talk to Takao about what he mentioned earlier. "I have a few minutes before I need to get to work; what is it you wanted to talk about, Takao-sama?"

"Let us go outside to the shed to talk, shall we?" Takao asked, motioning to Itachi to roll him outside.

A little puzzled at what should be kept so well hidden from Akiko, Itachi complied and proceeded to roll Takao out to the shed.

"Have a seat, son." Takao indicated an empty space that could be used to sit on.

Itachi sat, looking hard at Takao, trying to figure out what this was all about. "What is it, Takao-sama? Is everything alright?" He asked, concern stealing into his voice.

"My age has caught up to me, Itachi-san. Before I had a stroke, I would have never guessed that in two years time I would be in a wheel chair, decaying. I know I don't look it, but inside I am beginning to turn." He sighed heavily, closing his eyes and sadly shaking his head.

Itachi's brow became etched with concern, studying the old doctor. Briefly turning on his Sharingan, he could see that Takao's chakra wasn't looking good. It burned slightly bigger than a flickering flame. Turning it off, Itachi asked, "What's going on, Takao-sama?"

Sighing again, the doctor answered, "I am_dying_, Itachi-san. I don't know how much longer I will last. I've been doing my best to keep my illness a secret from the whole clan. No one, not even Akiko-chan, knows how sick I really am. If I had to make an educated guess, I would say that I will probably die within the year." At that moment, Takao seemed to age twenty more years before Itachi's eyes, obviously weighed down by the great burdens he felt.

Itachi leapt to his feet. "You can't be _that_ old, Takao-sama! Akiko-san is only twenty years old herself!"

Takao looked up at Itachi, his voice more worn than before. "She is the child of my late years. Her mother was much younger than I, but not very strong. She died giving birth to a still born child a year after Akiko." Longing for his young and beautiful wife gleamed in Takao's eyes, a tear shimmering in one. "Akiko-chan looks so much like her mother, it is truly a blessing." The doctor spoke softly, as if to himself.

Itachi sat back down and crossed his arms over his chest, searching Takao's eyes for answers. "So, what are you getting at here, exactly?" The shinobi asked, disguising the suspicion from his voice.

It was quiet for a moment while the question hung in the air. At last, Takao spoke.

"When I die here soon, who will be the leader of my Clan? My eldest son died years ago in an earth quake, and his own son, Takeshi-kun, won't be ready to lead the clan for a number of years. Clan law dictates that someone younger than 20 _cannot_ be patriarch. He has at least ten years before that can happen." He paused, gazing fully into Itachi's eyes, giving the Uchiha a meaningful look.

"… You mean… You mean that… ? You mean for _**me**_ to act as Clan Patriarch until Takeshi is old enough?" Itachi spluttered, disbelief etched in his face. "_But I am not Uzumaki! I am __**Uchiha**__!_ It cannot be possible that I can rule the Clan!_"_

"There is a way… Itachi-san. My _true_ purpose in asking to speak with you in private is this: Will you, Uchiha Itachi, marry my daughter, Akiko?"

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**WOO! *whipes forehead* Was that unexpected, or WHAT?? :P I hope you enjoyed it!!!!!!!!!**

**As a writer your thoughts and opinions are very important to meh! =D So please let me know what you think. ^.^**


	11. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI OR ANYTHING FROM 'NARUTO'.**

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Thank you so much everyone for your awesome reviews!!! And thanks for all the story alerts, as well! =D *gets dreamy-eyed look* I has da best fans... ! 8D**

**This one may be a little shorter than usual... though not as short as Chap. 9... or 2. :P**

**I'm sure that with the awful cliffhanger I ended in the last chapter you've all be anctiously waiting for the next chappie. xD So here it is! ENJOY, everyone!**

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**Chapter 11**

For the first time, in perhaps his entire life-time, Itachi was flabbergasted. Marry Akiko? Was this man joking? Had he gone _senile_? Surely… he… was—joking?

Or perhaps not.

"Just think about it, will you Itachi-san? I cannot live forever, and I want to die knowing that my only child is well looked after and that my Clan's future is secure. I _know_that she, and the Clan, will be well looked after with you. You are a responsible, kind, respectful man, well respected by all around here, though truth be told you could stand to be a little more friendly." Takao explained, hoping to convince Itachi somehow.

"I don't know, Takao-sama; I'm still not sure if I even want to stay here that long. I know I've been here a while now, with my own home, but… to look after your _Clan_ as WELL as your daughter?? I know I owe you a lot, and I intend to fully pay you back, but _this_?" Itachi waved his hand towards the rest of the village and sighed.

"If you do this, then you can consider _all_ your debts repaid. Besides, who else can I trust more than you? Before Akiko brought you here and saved your life, I wasn't sure WHAT I was going to do about her. There were plenty of suitors, of course, but none of them seemed to truly have her best interests at heart. Or the Clans. They just seemed more interested in having the position of _leader_, a position of power. Or they were just horn dogs. Either way, how could I, or she, chose any of them as a husband? Unworthy, the lot of them, to lead. Don't tell me that you are not a leader, son. I can see it in you. I can see great strength in you, even if you don't realize it." He said, reasonably.

Itachi sat, staring into space, thinking. "Does Akiko-san know you are trying to get us married?" He asked, looking straight at the doctor, brows rigid.

He inhaled deeply, "No. No, she doesn't. She will not question what I tell her, though. If I say 'Marry Uchiha Itachi', she will." He said, sitting up straighter in his chair._As if I had to ask. The girl is head-over-hills for you, Itachi-san. I **wish** I could tell you that. It would make her the happiest woman in the world to be your wife._ Takao thought, wishing fervently that he could tell Itachi how his daughter felt about him. But there was something in him, in Itachi, that he knew wouldn't allow him to love someone like that.

"Let me think about it, Takao-sama. I will have an answer for you by the end of the day." He said, standing up, fists on hips.

Takao nodded, looking down at his lap wearily. "Good. I can't wait too long for an answer. We will speak again after the evening meal."

When Itachi started to roll Takao-sama back to the house, he stopped him. "I want to sit here for a while and enjoy the morning air. Have Akiko come out here in an hour or so." The elderly man said.

Itachi nodded briskly, then walked off.

The day passed slowly for Itachi as he thought upon Takao-sama's request. He often found himself pausing in his work to stare off into the distance to think, though when he realized he had stopped working he couldn't remember what he was thinking about. It was all shrouded in fog.

At length, Itachi was finally able to concentrate long enough to think about it. Takao needed someone he could depend on, and obviously Itachi was that man. Who else has had as much leadership experience as he? And who else did the old man have to depend on when he was gone? Akiko was hardly fit to be a leader since she had no experience. She'd either sink or swim, and when so many lives dependent on the outcome, it was too risky. Takao deserved to die with peace of mind in the knowledge that his Clan would be well looked after. That did it. He had his decision.

At the end of the day when he was finished working, he sought out Takao-sama. He found the good doctor relaxing in his chair with a cup of tea while Akiko read to him, "The Legend of the Gutsy Shinobi" while in the sitting room of their home.

Akiko looked up when Itachi entered the room and instantly her face brightened. Takao could see how radiant his daughter was when Itachi was near. His heart would rejoice if he could see the two married.

"Akiko-san, could I talk to your father alone for a minute?" Itachi asked, pointing at Takao while looking at Akiko.

She looked confused, but nodded her head in compliance. "Of course, Itachi-kun." She said, and then turned to her father. "If you need anything, just let me know. I won't be far." Patting his leg, then standing up and leaving the room. The young woman gave one last confused look at Itachi before exiting.

"So! What's on your mind, my boy?" Takao asked, folding his hands and placing them on his lap, looking earnestly at Itachi.

Itachi came closer to Takao, kneeling beside his wheel chair so he would be on eye level.

"I have thought about what you have asked of me."

"And… ?" A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Takao's face as he waited for Itachi's answer."

There was a long pause as Itachi thought about the final decision he'd made.

"I'll do it."

The doctor had to repress a 'whoop' of joy at this, but settled for slapping Itachi on the back, chuckling. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave another more nervous chuckle.

"I thought for sure you would say no, Itachi-san. I'll admit I was a little worried."

The corner on one side of Itachi's mouth turned up ever so slightly. "How could I refuse, Takao-sama?" He asked sincerely, and then in a hushed voice said "I wouldn't be alive if not for you and Akiko-san."

"Hm." The doctor grunted as they lapsed into silence. After a moments quiet, he said, "I shall tell Akiko then. Later today, before bed."

_I'm sure she shall be quite pleased._ He thought to himself, grinning as Itachi left the room.

Akiko was tucking her father into bed, making sure the blankets were wrapped tightly around his sides.

"How is that, father? Is it good enough?" She asked, looking down at her frail dad.

"Yes, it is perfect, Akiko-chan, just perfect, thank you." He said, looking up into her loving face.

"Good-night then, father." She said just about to blow out the candle and leave.

"Just a minute, Akiko-chan. There is something I need to tell you." The edge in his voice is what caught Akiko off guard.

"Oh? What is it?" She asked, turned towards her father and leaning close so he could hear her better.

"It… it's about your future."

"My future?" She echoed, confused.

"…. Y-yes. I have decided who you will marry."

The statement caught Akiko completely off guard and she stared open-mouthed at her father. After a moments silence, she composed herself.

"And who has my esteemed father chosen to be my husband?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Suppressing a smile, and trying to look as grave as possible, he waited a few heartbeats before telling her.

"Uchiha Itachi."

Akiko's heart lurched in her chest and her breath caught in her throat. Her heart beat wildly in her breast as she started to breathe again, faster than normal. Her face slowly turned from pink to red as she looked everywhere but her father.

"I-Itachi-kun?" She breathed, utterly flabbergasted. Where had this come from?! Her father never told her when he was choosing a husband for her! She was _totally_unprepared for this! But… To be married to Itachi-kun… She had never _dreamed_… Never DARED to dream that her father would chose the man of her dreams to be her_husband_! It was too good to be true, but her father would never play that kind of trick on her. It _had_ to be true!

"Oh, father!" She cried out, elated, jumping forward to give the old man a bear hug.

Takao laughed merrily, happy that his daughter was so happy. It made his heart swell with emotion to know that he was making his daughter a happy woman.

Tears filled her eyes, threatening to spill over as she continued to hug her father. "Thank you." She whispered, not trusting her voice.

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**Yus, I finished! And so did you! :P Cookies all around! *holds out tray of your favorite cookies* :P**

**So, tell me, how did you like it? What did you like about it? How did it make you feel? Did it keep your attention? xD Answer these questions and more in a love review! xD :P (meaning you show love [for fanfic, or me :P] by leaving a review)**

**Reviews also give me the creative juices necessary to keep writing!!! The more reviews the stronger the juice! XD :P (Yeah, I know... I'm weird. n_n;)**


	12. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI OR ANYTHING FROM THE SERIES 'NARUTO'.**

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**Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter! I'm glad you all liked it! ^__^**

**Okay, so I don't know a lot about Japanese weddings, the finer details and points and everything, so the following I tried to make like a mixture of Japanese and English... Kind of. I may have failed miserably. o_o;**

OKAY! HERE WE GO, EVERYONE!!! CHAPTER 12!  
  


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Chapter 12

**6 Months later**

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Uchiha Itachi and Akiko!" Takao raised his voice above the shouts and cheers of the joy from the entire village gathered under a large pavilion.

Akiko, who was absolutely radiant, was attired in a white and black, accented with light blue, kimono. Her hair was decorated with flower and butterfly ornaments, placed elegantly in her light pink and purple hair, which was pinned up in an old fashioned style, much like a geisha. The bride's feet were in beautifully white lacquered geta in plain white socks. She was quite the beautiful blushing bride.

Itachi was dressed in the customary black kimono, and his hair in a simple top knot. His feet were similarly adorned, only with black lacquered geta. Another different in the pair was the look on Itachi's face. Though he at least _tried_ to look happy, he only achieved looking barely pleased.

Takao, who was standing behind them, was dressed similarly to Itachi, with a much smaller top knot, with a large head dress on top of his head with a white veil that that didn't quite reach his head, and curled upward in the back. The smile on his face was blissful, although his face itself was haggard and worn.

The entire village had assembled for the occasion, all, or nearly all, were joyful to find out that the patriarch of their Clan had found a suitable husband, finally, for his beloved daughter. The future, immediate and pending, of the village was secured.

A short distance from the pavilion, in the shade of a large tree, was a young man. He watched the entire ceremony with growing dissatisfaction. He had sought the hand of Uzumaki Akiko. Numerous times. And both she, and her father, had turned him, Uzumaki Mugen, a fellow Clan member, down every time. Why? Sure, they were of the same Clan, but very distantly related. They had chosen someone else, _an **OUTSIDER!**_ **Uchiha Itachi**. Mugen thought the name like poison. Some twisted thought in his head gave him the idea that he could be possessive of something that wasn't his. Over the course of four years, Mugen had becoming increasingly jealous… covetous.

Ever since Akiko-chan had brought that stranger into their village she had been smitten with him. When he had gotten better, Itachi had done nothing but get in Mugen's way. For how he could approach and try and woe the beautiful Akiko with that _man_ always in the way?! Wasn't it obvious that Uzumaki Mugen would make the BETTER Patriarch, better Clan leader, better _husband_, than that moppey, good-fer-nothin', Uchiha?! Of course it was obvious! So why in the WORLD would Takao give his daughter to someone other than himself?? That was a good… Wait.

_Uchiha Itachi… That name sounds familiar… I recall Father mentioning that name some time ago after returning from a trading expedition._ Mugen thought, a malicious glimmer appearing in his eyes as a conniving grin spread across his face.

A memory attached to that name arose in his mind. _Perfect._ He thought, an idea instantly forming in his mind.

Turning his back on the celebration that was just beginning, no one noticed as the lone figure jogged away from the village.

_I WILL teach them to not ignore me!_

The Uzumaki Clan celebrated the rest of the day, and well into the night, the union of Uchiha Itachi and Akiko. No one noticed that one Uzumaki was missing.

Though Itachi had never really tried his hand at dancing, and tried to avoid it as much as possible throughout the day, the Clan people somehow kept pulling him into it, forcing him to dance. Itachi felt quite awkward by it all, but swallowed that feeling so it would be more bearable to get through the night.

Akiko, on the other hand, took every opportunity to dance with her beloved Itachi. How she longed to have him take her in his arms and hold her close as they swept across the dance floor, laughing merrily, gazing into her eyes with longing… Unfortunately, Itachi did not seem to be the dancing sort, so tried to satisfy herself with only a couple of dances with her husband. She wondered at what kind of prelude this was to their wedding night…

The few times he danced with his new wife, Itachi could tell that she was quite enamored with him. Guilt smelted in his gut like a ball of still flexible, oozy hot glass. He hated that he could not return her feelings, but he knew he was incapable of doing so. Sasuke's death had robbed his heart of the remaining ability to truly love someone. Itachi fervently hoped that tonight… when they were all alone… that she wouldn't expect him to… _sleep_ with her. Despite the fact that he valued her as a friend, he could not, WOULD not, use her in that manner. Unless he truly loved her, he would not come into her bed. Though it was probable she expected _something_, Itachi remained hopeful that she wouldn't try and force him by way of making him feel obligated to… have _relations_ with her. Itachi inwardly cringed. He couldn't even bare to THINK about the word! Not that Itachi found her unattractive… It was just that he never actively thought about her physical features as anything. Not ugly, beautiful or anything in between. In passing, in the back of his mind, it had occurred to him that she was attractive, but he never really—perceived it actively.

_Ugh, what is my problem?!_ The Uchiha berated himself. The more he thought of it, the more guilty he felt, though he knew there was no way he could sleep with her. _Akiko, I'm…. I'm sorry._

When the celebrations were finally over, and everyone was gone, but Itachi, Akiko and Takao, the Clan leader addressed his daughter.

"Come, Akiko-chan, I will take you to the bridell suite." He smiled knowingly at her, but quickly became straight-faced. He didn't want to embarrass the girl.

She gasped. "Y-yes, father." She turned to her husband, desperately trying to hide a smile. "See you in a bit… Itachi-kun." She whispered before walking briskly over to her father.

After they left, Itachi turned to see the two large double doors empty. He sighed wearily, hanging his head. The guilt surged in his gut. The shinobi went to sit at a table by the door while he waited for Takao to come back.

"Are you ready, Itachi-san? Shall we?" He asked, patting his son-in-laws arm.

Itachi nodded his head and they proceeded to the room Akiko was waiting in.

The door slid shut, thudding lightly against the frame once closed. Akiko gasped, turning around to see her unbearably cute husband finish shutting the door.

"You surprised me." She spoke softly.

Itachi turned around to see Akiko sitting on the edge of the bed on the right side. She was wearing a pure white night gown and had pulled the covers to cover her lap. The young bride looked nervous.

Painfully slow, Itachi walked to the other side of the bed and sat down, facing the wall. He turned to look at Akiko, his wounded heart openly displayed on his face. Akiko turned to look to back at him, her eyes shining with question, and a little anticipation.

"Akiko-san…. "

_Still so formal, Itachi-kun?_ She asked him to herself.  
"I… I am—_so_ sorry… I can't. I just cannot."

Akiko, started, gasping. Her eyes filled with tears as she shrank back. It was still surprising, though she had expected as much, even if she hadn't wanted to admit it to herself. How could she? Despite the fact that it seemed Itachi was depressed for life, he was everything she wanted in a husband. Strong, dependable, good-looking, hard-working… The list could go on. They had become good friends during the past four years.

But she just couldn't get him to open up to her.

"Please try and understand, Akiko-san." He pleaded with her in an even, low voice.

"No. I can't really understand at all. You won't _tell_ me anything! How can I understand something when I know nothing about it whatsoever??" She pleaded with him in a fierce whisper, leaning towards him, her face passionate.

Itachi visibly cringed at her words, unknowingly shrinking away from her just a little. "How can I… speak of it? Of… everything that hap…pened… ? Too p-painful… " He whispered back to her, rushed. He had to finish speaking before the tears of grief overwhelmed him. Elbows on knees, Itachi put his face in his hands, and sobbed quietly, the tears of heartache spilling out. As well as tears of remorse; remorse for letting Akiko down.

When it came to ordinary, everyday life… or any part of life, for that matter, Itachi was fine. But when matters of the heart came threateningly close to the surface, Itachi just couldn't hack it. Even if matters of the heart were at a distance, he could handle it. But not when it came this close.

Moved to tears, Akiko softly crawled across the bed and sat diagonally from Itachi, her knees almost touching the side of his upper thigh. Gracefully, Akiko gently embraced Itachi, trying to offer what little comfort she could. After all this time he still suffered so…

At Akiko's touch, Itachi immediately began to try and stem the flow of tears, and quieted the shudders his silent sobs caused. Wiping his eyes, Itachi turned slightly to get Akiko to let go.

"You don't have to do that, Akiko-san." He said quietly.

Akiko let go, then moved back to her side of the bed and crawled under the covers. She turned her back to Itachi, saying, "Yes. I do."

It was Itachi's turn to gasp, his eyes opened wider than usual. After a few moments, he turned even further away from Akiko, once more filled with grief and guilt. Once able to conquer his emotions without a thought, Uchiha Itachi seemed incapable of doing so now, even a little. Kicking off his shoes, he crawled under the covers, turning his back to her as well. Sleep did not come easy to the couple that night.  


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**HOW WAS IT?! xD PLEASE REVIEW, I'll give you tastey treats. ^^ 3**

**Hope you liked it! Until next time! ^__^  
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	13. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI OR ANYTHING FROM 'NARUTO'.**

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Phew! I would have updated sooner, like last night, but our borrowed internet wasn't working. xD I just thought of something... I usually update in the early hours of the morning, don't I? Oh, well.

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter! They were awesome. I ate them right up. =D YUMMM!!!

It has been brought to my attention that some of you may be desiring Itachi to warm up to Akiko. And yes, I know it seems like it is taking FOR-E-VER(!!!), but don't worry, my friends! :D It is coming! Not for a couple more chapters, but I believe it will be well worth the wait, and I hope you do to, when it finally comes to that point. ^_^ So take heart, my friends! It'll happen in a few more chapters in the most epicly awesome way I have thought of thus far. ^__^

NOW, _ON_ WITH CHAPTER 13! Hope you enjoy! 3

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**Chapter 13**

And so it was between the couple for many moons. They slept and lived together as brother and sister would. Each night, Akiko slept on her side of the bed, and Itachi on his. Each night, Itachi felt more guilt than the last. The only emotion surpassing the guilt was his sorrow. He knew not how to overcome such heart-rending pain, nor did he wish to. Itachi desperately clung to thoughts of his sweet little brother when they were younger. Desperately clung to tender, fond memories of growing up as Sasuke's cool big brother. Desperately clung to the past, to… Sasuke.

The former Akatsuki member wanted to hold all that was cherished, all that was left, of his former good life. He was so caught up in the past, that Itachi forgot that it was the present that was important. But how could he? It simply was not that easy. Since Sasuke was born, it seemed his entire life revolved around his beloved little brother. Especially so when he took the lives of the entire Uchiha Clan, aside from Sasuke. Then it was all about making Sasuke stronger… Securing his place in the world as a hero… The legendary hero who killed his mass murder older brother, Itachi.

That life had consumed him entirely. It felt impossible to give it up. Sasuke was… _so precious_ to him. He was… everything. And now he was dead. Been dead for over four years now. Itachi still could not let it go, and didn't think he ever would.

But Akiko was ever patient with him. Every night when they crawled into bed, each on their own side, Akiko would put a hand on Itachi's back and tell him that she was there for him when he was ready to open up to her. Every night for the next seven months Akiko told Itachi, her husband, that. Every night, he said nothing.

One day while Itachi was out working, Akiko was with her father. He had become completely dependent on Akiko and Itachi after their marriage. His health steadily declined day by day. Takao was so frail he hadn't the strength to hold his own chopsticks. Lovingly, Akiko took care of her father's every need, while Itachi took care of all the outside work around Takao's home. Before putting him into bed, the two would hold conversations with the sick, elderly doctor.

It was during this one particular visit that Takao broached a topic he had feared would come.

"My darling daughter... Akiko-chan." He said, reaching a hand out for hers.

"Yes, father, what is it?" She asked, taking his hand gently in hers and grasping it firmly, but softly.

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"Anything father, please, tell me so I can do as you wish without hesitation." She said, feeling a sense of sadness come over her. Woman's intuition told her that her father was about to tell her something she didn't want to hear. Something that was inevitable for all living things.

"You are so devoted to your old father… I hate to burden you."

"You have never been a burden to me father, please don't think that way." She pleaded with him, her eyes becoming wet, dreading what she feared he would say.

Takao smiled softly, looking into his daughters face. "I… I don't have many days left. Will you, and Itachi-san, please, prepare a room for me at your home? I would like… very much to be as close to you in my last days. I-I don't want to die alone." He squeezed her hand, trying to give her comfort.

A steady stream of tears were pouring down Akiko's face, fear gripping her heart. She placed her free hand on her father's shoulder and gripped the cloth covering it. "You can't die on me, father!"

"I don't want to leave you… my child… but I don't have a choice in the matter." He rasped, tears glistening in his own eyes. He paused for a long moment before continuing. "Will you…. Let me stay with you, Akiko-chan?"

Akiko gulped a couple of times, struggling to swallow the tears and nodded her head rapidly up and down, the woman's hair swinging in her face. "Yes, father. Yes." She managed.

Takao picked up a hand and rested it on Akiko's head, patting it gently. "My girl… " He whispered nostalgically.

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Later that day, Akiko approached Itachi and told him about her father. The corners of his mouth creased downward slightly, his brow furrowing faintly.

"Yes, it is a good idea that he move in with us. We'll be able to take better care of him there." He agreed instantly, hesitantly putting a hand on Akiko's shoulder in an attempt to console her.

Akiko looked at the ground for a moment, and then before Itachi could remove his hand, she looked up into his face, smiling softly, resting her hand on his wrist, and gently moved it up and down his wrist 3 times.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Her touch caught Itachi off guard and he started ever so slightly. A placid breeze blew his bangs, one corner of his mouth turning up just a tiny bit into a smile. He looked into her beautiful sky blue eyes, feeling warmth spread through his body that was almost entirely unrecognizable. Itachi suddenly felt over-whelmed by the love radiating from Akiko. Emotionally unable to tolerate, or accept, such love, he turned away from her, removing his hand.

"I must return to work… Akiko-san."

Akiko's hand slowly fell back to her side, her head slumping forward. She was sure she had made a break-through just then. But just like that, it was gone. Akiko crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing her arms in a sudden breeze. Cold. It was so cold… A single tear formed in one eye, growing till it slid down her cheek. A gust of wind blew it off her cheek and carried it away. Akiko turned and ran back to her father's home.

Something wet hit Itachi in the back of the neck. He started, feeling for it with his hand. Itachi looked at it, then up at the sky. _Will it rain? Doesn't look like it… _He thought. Seeing no clouds in the late afternoon sun, he turned to look behind him. He could see his wife running away from him to his father-in-laws home.

_Was she… ?_ He raised one eye brow a little, a bit of guilt and curiosity easing its way in his gut.

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That night, when Takao was all moved into his daughter's new home, Akiko sat with him in front of the fire place in his room. She started to prepare him for bed.

"Father, may I talk to you?" She asked, tucking him into bed and sitting on the edge of it. Akiko rested a hand on his leg near his ankle.

"Of course, of course, my child. Now, what is it? You can tell your father." He patted her hand on his leg and waited patiently for her to speak.

She hesitated, not knowing how to start.

"Come my child, you can tell your father anything. What is this about?" He asked, becoming concerned.

"Itachi-kun." She whispered softly.

"What's that? Itachi-san? Why, what's wrong with 'em?" He asked, more concerned.

"I don't know what to do about him anymore. I just... don't know! I've tried everything to get him to open up to me, but nothing works! What do I do, father?" She pleaded with him, gripping the blanket on his lap tightly. She broke down crying, laying her head on her father's lap.

"Now, now, now, sh sh sh, Akiko-chan, stop crying, stop crying." He said, bringing a finger up to his lips, and patting her head with the other.

Sniffling, Akiko nodded her head up and down on the blanket. Getting her crying under control, she looked up at her father, her chin on his leg.

"Now, tell me, what is this about Itachi-san? Speak clearly, dear." Takao spoke softly, his hand still on her head.

"I don't know why. He is... distant from me. Itachi-kun doesn't... _talk_ to me. Sometimes he seems almost cold, but not quite. It's hard to explain. We have conversations about our day sometimes, but not always. He never speaks openly about _himself_ though. He's as tight-lipped about his past as I have ever seen in a person. I just can't get him to open up to me, father! Please. Tell me what to do. I need your help, _please_, father."

"Oooh, baby, my baby girl. I can't TELL him to open up to you. I know he's your husband, but until he is ready, it is his business. When he is ready, if that time should come, he will tell you. Not a moment before."

"I can't even tell if he loves me. Can't you help me at all? Give me some advice... any tips... _any_thing?" She pleaded, urgently.

"Of course he loves you! You saved his _life_. That is reason enough. Just give him some time. He'll come around." Takao said, confidently.

"Not once has he _ever_ told me that he loves me, or has he ever done anything to _show_ me that he cares for me at all. How much time do you expect me to give him? How much longer can I possibly hold out before I can't take it anymore? How much time does he need? It's already been almost a year since we married! It feels like it's been much longer than that. "

"Akiko-chaan, don't talk like that! As far as you know he is _used_ to keeping things inside. It may take him longer than usual to reveal his feelings for you. To show you what is in his heart. Don't forget that he was also on the brink of death when you found him. Whatever happened days before you found him, could have profoundly changed Itachi-san, emotionally, or otherwise."

Akiko continued to sniffle as she listened to her father intently. A few tears still escape when she blinked, but she held back her sobs as he continued.

"A man needs the support of his wife, Akiko-chan, never forget that. Just be there for him. Don't lose heart. Promise me you won't give up on him, Akiko-chan. Promise me." He whispered weakly, his energy nearly spent.

Akiko gulp hard, wiping her eyes. "I-I promise you, father. I won't give up." She whispered weakly back.

"That's my girl." Takao approvingly spoke soft, patting her head, a tired smile on his face. He sighed, leaning back, eyes closed.

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**Thank you so much for reading it, hope you enjoyed the chapter! And thanks in advance for reviewing. ^_^**

**Preview for the next chapter: Mugen returns!!! DUN _dun_ dunnnnnn *dramatic reveeerb*!**

**XD**


	14. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, KISAME, DEIDARA OR ANYTHING FROM 'NARUTO'! Woe is me! I DO own OOC's though. ^_^  
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**I should have done this like two days ago, but oh well. No use crying over spilled milk, right? :P You guys are no use for ware. ;p**

**Anywho!! Thanks so much for all the delicious reviews! Even you, Miko! Even though... I can't send you a message or anything. xD YOU SHOULD JOIN AND THEN REVIEW EVERY CHAPTER! XP Just kidding. Or am I? Anywho, thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed! I'd like to urge everyone reading this latest installment to review, even if you normally don't. Reviews are inspiring and help me to get the lead out! :P (aka write faster ;D )**

_**It's getting closer...**_

**So here it is, everyone! FEAST! ^__^  
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**Chapter 14**

**5 months later**

_"Look after my little girl, Itachi-san, please. She needs you. She lo-- She lo--" Takao gasped, whether from pain, or what, Itachi didn't know. Seconds later, he died. Takao was laying in his bed in Itachi and Akiko's home, Itachi at his bed side, resting one hand near Takao's. Akiko was already in bed and Itachi had come to check up on Takao-sama before going to bed himself. There, the doctor spoke his last words to his son-in-law. Itachi breathed a sigh of relief that the old man's pain was finally at an end._ Itachi recalled his last moments with the doctor as rain came down in sheets from the heavens. The sky was an inky black-blue with large billowing clouds.

Akiko stood beside Itachi in the pouring rain, dressed all in black, crying just as hard as the sky was, both hands balled into fists at her mouth. Every few seconds she would open her eyes to stare at the coffin of her father, the former Clan Patriarch. Raised above the hole Takao was going to be lowered in, were hundreds of flowers left by the Clan. The entire Uzumaki Clan stood behind the two Uchiha's, many of them crying themselves. Sadness consumed the day, and thunder cracked rolled through the clouds. Hesitantly, Itachi raised an arm and settled it around Akiko's shoulders in an attempt to console her.

Alarmed, she made no show of it, only leaned into Itachi, and grasped his black shirt in her fingers, burying her face in his shoulder. It muffled her anguished cries of 'father'. Itachi lowered his head, looking at the ground. His mouth frowned more than usual as the rain slid down his face, giving him the look he was crying, almost.

Akiko cried all the harder when Takao's casket began its decent into the ground. The rain bounced off the shiny wooden casket, making tiny 'tink' sounds with impact. It ran down the sides, dripping onto the ground. Unintentionally, it reminded Itachi of the day he was standing in the rain after he heard that Deidara had killed Sasuke. Kisame was nearby, and said to him that he was sorry to hear about his brother's death. That the rain running down his face made it look like he was crying. Though he made Kisame think that he _wasn't_, he was. A couple of tears HAD escaped, and ran down his cheeks at the same time.

_Sasuke... What is it like-- where you are?_

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Days, weeks passed after Takao's death. As in accordance with Clan custom, 50 days was required for mourning when the patriarch died. During that month Akiko would sleep in her father's room 3-4 times a week, weeping softly, usually. Sometimes more loudly. Takao's last words to him echoed in his mind, and it would press upon him the urge to do something for her. Often, he would bring her a cup of tea, or a piece of fruit from the pantry. They were the only things he could think of, but they seemed to help her in her grieving process. Though these days he was busy attending to Clan duties as the leader now so it was usually 5 days to a week before he made such a gesture.

When the 50 days of mourning was over, Akiko put back on her normal clothes, took the frown from her face, and faced the world bravely. Akiko knew that no matter how long the grieving period was, she would always miss her father.

Even in her grief, Itachi still remained on his side of the bed, never going to bed with no less on than a pair of shorts. Inwardly, Akiko was ready to put her hands all over Itachi, to feel his powerful muscles, his warm flesh, his sweet-smelling hair. As much as to comfort him as for herself. She thought that the interaction would be good for both of them, but Akiko didn't want to force herself on him. At this stage, those kinds of actions could make him reject her for all time, and that was the last thing she wanted. _When he is ready._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Are you _sure_ it is Uchiha Itachi, from the Land of Fire?" A deep, grated voice spoke.

"Yes. I am positive. There IS no mistaking him." A different voice, young and strong. Full of venom.

"Heh. You are confidant. Very well."

"Do you have a plan, Sensei?" Another voice, lower, and nasally.

"Not yet, but soon. Go tell the others to prepare themselves, Kenta. Mugen, tell me _everything_ about Uchiha Itachi you know. Does he have any relations? Any children, or a wife, perhaps?"

Eaten away by bitterness, Mugen harbored an especially strong grudge towards Akiko. He wanted her, more than anything, to regret her decision in not choosing him as her husband. A smile slowly crept over his face, a deadly gleam in his eyes.

"Yes, actually, he does have a wife. Her name is Uchiha Akiko."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

One day, after their 1 year anniversary, Akiko was out picking medicinal plants. As was her usual, she walked around 5 miles from the village in order not to deplete all the good plants in one area. She had just picked a particularly large bunch of peppermint when she saw a glint, or something, from the corner of her eye. Akiko looked up. There it was again, just ahead on the other side of a small clearing, she saw a bright glint, which was probably the sun reflecting off a shiny surface. Curious, she went to investigate.

When she got to the spot where she thought she saw it, there was nothing there.

"That's weird; I thought for sure I saw something. Hm. My mind must be playing tricks on me, haha." She said aloud. Just as she finished speaking, she saw an odd cluster of plants. They were partially hidden by a large root of a tree.

"What a peculiar place for that to grow." She commented, walking over to it.

Behind the tree, which was in front of Akiko, a large shadow moved. Quickly. With purpose. Akiko didn't notice, for this part of the tree grove was nearly completely shadowed. A black shadowed of a face peered out through the lower branches of the tree, watching Akiko. As Akiko bent over to pick up the odd plant, the face went into action.

The bedimmed figure shoved a hood over Akiko's head, putting one arm around her throat. Akiko's scream was stifled, and suddenly everything went black. The shadowy figure had taken a rock and hit Akiko on the back of the head, completely knocking her out. The air in her lungs escaped in a whoosh. She made a thud as she hit the ground, her head smacking against the upraised tree root, blood spraying from her mouth, soaking through the cloth. Some of it smeared onto the root.

The cloaked figure stood over Akiko, looking down at her, brandishing the rock in case she wasn't out. When she didn't move after several moments, the dark form tossed the rock away, and turned towards the side of the tree he had been hiding.

"Heheheheh, too easy." He chuckled, looking back down at Akiko's silent form. Looking towards the space behind the tree again, the attacker raised their voice, "Alright, guys, I got her!"

Three more cloaked figures leap from the darkness to land beside the first. They shared a chuckle over the unconscious form of the girl, then moved her to a secluded location, tying and gagging her.

"Now to set the _other_ trap!" One of the new figures said, taking pleasure in the notion. "Heheheheheh!" They laughed together, and after that set to work.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The sun was already beginning to go down in the distance when Itachi arrived back home from a day of work. The house was abnormally quiet. He looked around the foyer, listening. Nothing. Itachi walked to the hallway entrance, looking around.

"Akiko-san?" He called, walking down the hall and checking in rooms.

The former Akatsuki walked to the kitchen. It was empty. "Akiko-san, where are you?" He called out loudly. No one answered. "Hmm. This is... _weird_."

Itachi walked all throughout the house, calling to his wife, but she didn't answer. On instinct, he began to feel suspicious that something was going on, but seconds later rejected this line of thought.

_Calm down Itachi, there is no reason for you to get upset… yet. We'll just keep looking for her in the house a little more, then check the village. There is NO reason to become suspicious of anything; I'm far away from anyone who would know about my past._ He told himself to keep his thoughts under control.

The Uchiha went over the whole house again, checking things carefully, making sure not to miss any details that might be helpful. He picked up one foot and noticed a fine collection of dirt on the bottom. Akiko usually swept the floor a couple hours after lunch time.

"Hmmm." He tapped his chin lightly.

In the kitchen, Itachi surveyed the cabinets and cupboards. The spice rack was awfully low. Ah-ha! That must be it. She went out gathering medicinal plants, probably right after lunch before she could get to the sweeping. But wait… Something wasn't right here. Even if she had left directly after eating, she would have been back by now.

Realization dawned on Itachi. "She must have gotten lost. Or she just sat down for a rest and fell asleep. If she's lost, then I should go and find her." He said to himself, then grabbed his outdoor coat and went back outside.

After asking around the village, he found out the general direction that his wife had taken in her search for herbs and other plants. Carefully studying the area to the entrance of the forest, Itachi was able to pick up her trail. It wandered seemingly hilly-nilly, but it was obviously the way she had to go to pick plants, which don't grow in straight lines. Naturally.

The sun was completely below the horizon by the time Itachi had been searching for an hour and a half, so he took a branch from a tree and used a small fire jutsu to light it. He used this to continue his search for Akiko.

At last, Itachi reached the place where Akiko had walked through the small clearing between the trees. Itachi walked through the clearing, following his wife's' path as closely as he could. When he reached the spot where her trailed end, he looked up the tree, thinking she may have climbed up to sleep in the branches.

"Akiko-san! Are you up there?" He called up the tree, cupping one hand around his mouth.

No answer.

"Akiko-san, it's me, Itachi!" He called again, this time a little louder.

From directly behind Uchiha Itachi a rock the size of a large apple flew with precision and accuracy at the back of Itachi's head. A split second before impact, Itachi spied something red on one of the trees upraised roots.

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**TA-DAAA! What'dya think?! Suspenseful, neh? :P**

**If you loved/liked this chapter, review it, please! Review = -HEART-! :D  
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	15. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI OR ANYTHING FROM 'NARUTO' OR THE SERIES ITSELF. ONLY THE OC'S. ;)**

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**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE**

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**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter!! They were quit delicious. ^_^ And a special thank you to the person who added my fanfic to their story alert. :D And don't be shy to leave me a review for this chapter, and ones to follow. ^__^ :D I welcome all reviews!**

**Would anyone be interested in knowing how I came up with the idea to write this? xD I'm like... dying to tell _some_one. xD**

**Anywho, sorry it has taken so long for me to update this. :( I tried to upload it earlier, but everytime I tried to save the document in the edit/preview section, every word from the first sentence to the last showed up as italisized no matter how many times I corrected it. X_X**

**Don't forget to review, please! ^_^ All who review I will give you ALL the cookies, ice cream and cake cake cake in the WORLD!!! =D **

**Let the feast begin! **

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**Chapter 15**

"Ghuh!" Itachi's head snapped up and forward with the force of the blow. Warm, red liquid spread around the back of his head as the former ANBU landed on the ground with a thud.

_What just happe-_ He tried to think, the darkness quickly enveloping him.

A second later, another rock half the size of the first thudded against the back of his head, a splatter of blood spraying upward. The clan leader didn't move.

Seconds passed. Four shadowy figures appeared around the Uchiha, hands on hips. One of them, the one who had thrown the rocks, held another one in his hand and tossed up to catch it casually.

"Too easy." He smirked, dropping the rock on Itachi's back.

"Kenta, are you sure this is the right guy? I mean w-wouldn't he have… I don't know, been more challenging?" One of them asked the guy who threw the rock.

"Of course it's the guy!" He sneered, "One would think it WOULD have been harder, but that's the thing! The plan was so simple, it HAD to work! He probably hasn't used a jutsu in battle for ages. What could he possibly have had to be suspicious about? Probably thought no one would find him this far off the map." Kenta said, bending over to roll Itachi on his back. "Now let's get this scum tied, gagged, and goggled before he wakes up."

"Yeah. 'Cause he WON'T be happy when he wakes up and has a headache the size of your momma's boobs!" One of the other, dumber, followers said.

"Just shut up and get to work." Kenta growled, pulling a length of rope from his robes and tying it around Itachi's wrists as tightly as he could.

One of the others tied Itachi's ankles. Another one pulled a small square piece of cloth from a pocket, took out a bottle of something, opened the lid and held the cloth to the opening. Turning it upside down, he let the cloth absorb some of the liquid before recapping the bottle and stowing it in his pocket.

"Now to make sure he REALLY won't wake up for a few hours! Hehehe." He said, holding the cloth over Itachi's mouth and nose for a minute to guarantee that the married Uchiha inhaled whatever was on the cloth.

Itachi's head lolled to one side, his eyebrows furrowing at the innermost ends of them. He groaned a little before falling silent once again.

"You two. Go get the girl. Come straight back here and then we'll head back to the hideout." Kenta ordered two of the others, pointing at each in turn.

"Hai!" They said together before leaping away.

..............................

Akiko moaned quietly, her eyes straining to open. She cracked them a little, slowly blinking till she could open her eyes the rest of the way.

_My head HURTS._ She thought, looking around her.

It was nearly completely dark, but she could just barely make out a wall on either side of her. Looking around, she discovered that she was sitting on a floor, her ankles and wrists tied together. Her mouth was not gagged.

"So, the little Uzumaki Uchiha princess finally wakes up." Came a cruel, harsh male voice through the darkness.

Akiko gasped, jerking her head to look where the voice came from. "W-who are you? What d-did you do t-to me?" She stuttered, trying to sound brave, but her voice cracked.

A nasty chuckle sounded across the room, white teeth gleaming in the dark. Itachi would have thought that it sounded like Orochimaru laughing, but, of course, Akiko didn't know who Orochimaru was.

Ssshtc! Then the sound of burning. A rough hand held a match to a candle, lighting it. It allowed for some illumination in the room. Akiko could barely make out a hard face, around 5 to 6 years older than she. The Uchiha by marriage guessed around 26 years of age. His hair was black as night, his eyes steel gray. The black hair was cropped short, spiky on top, the rest kept lose to hang down. He wore a gray cloak with a big-ass neckband that came up to his nose. He was sitting on a stool next to a table that held the candle.

He moved a little towards her, the neckband moving to reveal his mouth. It was a pitiless, _dirty_ mouth, and it grinned at her tauntingly.

"You don't need to know who I am, girly. And I don't need to tell you anything. Just know that… _things_ are about to happen. And not just to you." There was a powerful ominous tone in his words, his voice.

"W-what kinds of th-things?" Itachi's wife stuttered, drawing her knees up to her chest and turning her body so that her side was against the wall. "What do you want with me?" She choked out, a suffocating fear beginning to set in.

He made his Orochimaru chuckle again, standing up. "You're about to find out, princess." He said, mockingly. The older man walked to the far wall and picked something up. He turned back to Akiko, an object in his hand.

Akiko studied the item in his hand. The stranger walked towards Akiko; as he got closer, she could see what he was holding in his hands.

_A rope… !_

"I know you're tied up and can't go anywhere, but just to make sure you don't get any crazy ideas of escaping, I'm to make sure you won't even think about it!" He sneered at Akiko, standing over her now.

He raised the rope over his head slowly, preparing to strike the helpless girl with it.

"What-what are you doing?! Don't! Please!" She pleaded with him, panic raising in her chest, fear closing her air passages.

The man came down hard and fast, landing a blow on Akiko's shoulder. She screamed in pain, trying to squirm away from the man. He raised the rope over his head again, and lashed out, hitting Akiko on her back. She screamed again, tears of pain brimming in her eyes, spilling down in a cascade of salty fluid.

"**STOP IT**!" Akiko screamed, cramming her head down and against the wall, covering her head with her hands. Blood spots started to appear through the Uchiha brides clothes.

The cruel man chuckled more, taking great joy in hurting the defenseless young woman. He kept whipping her with the rope till she lay unconscious on the floor.

Much time passed, probably several days, for all Akiko knew, before the daily beatings ceased. Fortunately, Akiko had done a good job of protecting her head and face. As a result, they received the least damage. The rest of her body was covered in bruises, welts, and scabbed over open wounds.

When the beatings finally stopped, the attacker discarded the rope, he moved his seat closer.

"Now we stop to wait for you to heal, princess Uzumaki-Uchiha." He said, his usually cruel voice lacking expression.

Uchiha Akiko cowered in one corner, visibly shaking, covering her face with her hands, which had their fair share of cuts and welts on them from protecting her face and head. She wept weakly, her sobs of pain and fear muffled.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"He's waking up, quick!"

"I AM, don't rush me!"

"Hurry up and get away from there, you two!"

Itachi groaned, straining to open his eyes. He could feel something extremely heavy on each wrist, something, or someone, holding him up. The Uchiha was resting all his weight on his knees and legs. Suddenly, water was splashed in his face, jolting him awake. He gasped for air, shaking the water from his face. Unexpectedly, the support that was holding him up was gone, and an enormous weight began to drag him down, bringing his chest closer to the floor.

"Auuuuugh!" He strained against the weight, grunting strenuously with the exertion. It took a tremendous effort, but Itachi managed to bring himself back up to his original position, breathing heavily and sweating from the effort. He gasped for air, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.

Itachi looked at his wrists, which were cuffed. He could see a large chain connected to them which lead down over the side of a ledge.

"Wha-?!" He gasped, looking all around him.

Itachi could see that he was on a man-made island, positioned in the middle. He figured that there must be weights of some kind attached to the other ends of the chains. Oddly, he wasn't any kind of fetter attaching him to the island. Just the weights attached at the ends of each chain. There seemed to be about a 30 foot gap from the island to the other side. Who knew what was in the gap?

Itachi began to notice that his eyes felt funny. Moving his eyebrows and face muscles around his eyes, he realized that he was wearing strange goggles. They were doing something to his eyes, but he wasn't sure what. He was still too disoriented to figure out what it was.

"Look at what we got here, boys! It's a genuine Uchiha!" Someone leered on the far side of the room somewhere in front of Itachi.

At the sound of the voice, Itachi whipped his head forward, searching the darkness for the people he knew to be there. He could just make out several shadowy figures standing on an upraised ledge that encircled the island. The ledge was surrounded on the edge in front of the gap by railing.

"Greetings, _Uchiha Itachi_. Welcome to my lair." A deep voice said. "I'm sure by now that you have noticed a pair of goggles on your face. They are a special creation of mine, designed specifically with you in mind. Chakra suppressers. Created with the purpose to suppress the flow of chakra to your eyes so you can't use Sharingan. Inventive, are they not? I—hope you enjoy them." He said condescendingly, followed by a Hidan-esque laugh.

Itachi said nothing, his face blank. He gripped the chains with his hands, trying to ease the stress they were putting on his shoulders. The air steadily grew colder.

Whatever they wanted with him, whatever they wanted to _do_ to Itachi, he deserved it. He felt in his soul that whatever they could do to him, it would be justified. Itachi mentally prepared himself for whatever they had in store for him. A life-time of wrongs serving in Akatsuki warranted being killed and tortured.

_I'm ready._

"Uchiha Itachi, this is not going to be easy. For you. It won't be over quickly, and I WILL get the information I want from you.

"Who are you?" Itachi asked, voice void of any emotion.

"You're hurting my feelings, _Itachi-kun!_" He said mockingly. "You should remember me. _You slaughtered my village._ Don't you remember? Or was that just another notch in your belt? Anyway, that is not why you are here; for me to seek revenge on you. No. When you see my face, though… then, _then_ you will know what I, and my comrades, are after. I'm sure of it." His voice was casual, as if it were nothing for him to announce to someone that he was going to be interrogated, and probably tortured.

"Kenta! Bring me a torch."

"Yes, Master!" The subordinate said, promptly obeying. He went to one of the many guard's around the perimeter of the room and got a torch that was lit beside them.

When he returned and passed the torch off to the one in charge, he held the flame close to his face to illuminate his features. A wicked grin spread across his face, his eyes gleaming with wicked pleasure.

"It is late already. Our interview shall begin tomorrow, _Itachi-kun_." He said, laughing again, this time sounding crazier than Hidan.

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**Almost four pages worth! W00t! I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Reviews are _most_ welcome, readers and fans! I love to know your thoughts, so please don't hesitate to share. ^_^**

**Have an AWESOME day! =D**


	16. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI OR ANYTHING FROM 'NARUTO'.**

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**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED PG-15/ADULT FOR SOME ADULT 'TALK/LANGUAGE'.**

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**Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter! Your reviews mean so much to me as a writer. ^_^ Thanks for being loyal fans of the story! 8D**

**Tell your Itachi lovin' friends about my fic! =D I'll give you... your favorite dessert? Yeah, yeah, thats it. =D And tell them to review, too! ;P I would appreciate it so much. xD**

**Sorry I haven't updated sooner. I should have days ago, but I just haven't had the chance to do so with my sister-in-law coming to town. Thanks for being patient with meh! :D**

**This is kind of a short chapter because there is a lot of dialogue. More than usual, I think. I hope you still like it, though! ^__^**

**Finally! Here is chapter 16! Read, review, enjoy everyone! 8D**

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Chapter 16

"Give us the information we want, Itachi!" Kenta yelled for the umpteenth time that day. "We WILL resort to other means of extraction!"

Itachi refused to answer. In actuality, Itachi wasn't even paying Kenta any attention. He blandly stared ahead, thinking of the same thing he had thought of since that dreadful day. Not once had he stopped thinking of his brother. With nothing, no work, no kinship, to distract his mind, even for a moment, from such depressing thoughts, Itachi had sunken into a stupor of despair. He could care less what they did with him; perhaps it was time for him to die anyways. It didn't seem right, or fair, that he had out-lived Sasuke for so long.

"ITACHI! ARE YOU LISTENING?!" Kenta screeched from across the way, slamming a fist down on the railing he was leaning against, spittle flying from his mouth.

Just then, Itachi heard the sound of a door being opened and closed. Someone holding a torch walked around the perimeter of the outside ring surrounding Itachi's island till they came to Kenta. The smell of food wafted towards Itachi's nostrils.

"Surprised to see you here, Mimori-chan. What's that?" He asked the new person.

"Food, what's it look like to you, Kenta?" A woman's voice sarcastically replied.

"Who is it for?" He said, ignoring her sarcasm.

"This is for you. This is for the prisoner. The boss has got me cooking for the prisoners now. And for you guys watchin' them. Ain't that a kick? Never cooked a day in my life before! Heh!" She replied, indicating two different trays of food.

Kenta snatched his and started scarfing it down. "Ain't bad, for a beginner!" Kenta grunted around mouthfuls of food.

Mimori ignored him, turning her gaze to the male prisoner on the island. She peered closely at him, trying to see his face. "Hey!" She shouted at Itachi, her voice kind of deep for a woman, though still feminine.

Itachi didn't move, continuing to stare at the ground.

"HEY! I'm TALKIN' to you, prisoner!" She shouted at him, leaning across the railing. Her large breasts nearly spilling out of her clothes, hung over the railing.

Itachi picked up his head slowly to look at her in the face. Mimori smiled to herself, her eyes flashing with unconcealed interest. "Mmmm, aren't you a looker?" She said to Itachi, her voice lustful.

Itachi could see long purple hair, bushy bangs that flapped down over either side of her face. Her clothes were black and pink, no sleeves, and a huge V neck. The bottom part was a skirt that was just long enough to cover her butt. When standing up straight. She had feminine high-heeled shinobi sandals, and a beautiful face, plus a curvy body. Mimori's eyes were almost the same color as Akiko's, and her large breasts were so perky they nearly popped out of her low V neck.

"Don't be getting any ideas, Mimori-chan. He's not one of your toys, he's a prisoner! The boss's got something _special_ planned for that Missing-nin!" He said, gulping down his last bite of food, then laughing wickedly.

"Awwwwe! I hope he doesn't end up _killing_ him! That would be SUCH an awful waste!" She made a pouty look, putting the tip of one finger in her mouth. "He looks _so_ tasty! He could be my next consort!" She said a coy smile on her face, her voice dreamy, lustful. "Makes me wet just thinking about it… " Mimori continued, tone thoughtful.

"There you go again, Mimori-chan. I keep telling you, you can use ME as a consort! I wouldn't mind at all." He said, wistfully while his eyes roved her body.

"Forget it, Kenta! I've told you before, and I'll KEEP telling you, you aren't attractive enough! I only take the best looking men for my consorts." She said condescendingly.

"If you keep saying that, you might hurt my feelings. Then I'll have to tell the boss!" Kenta retorted, half in jest.

Mimori snorted at this, not the least bit worried about it. "The boss won't care; he's already been my consort. Twice."

"T-twice?! Mimori-chaan! How could you DO that to me?!" Kenta wailed like a pre-teen boy.

"What can I say? He's good in bed! Once just wasn't enough, ya know? Plus he is _sooo_… sexy!" Mimori longingly recalled her many rolls in the hay with the boss.

She suddenly sat up straight, regretfully turning her gaze to her comrade. "Enough of that talk, Kenta, it's making me horny." She said, placing one fist on her hip.

"Tch! Fine with me." He replied.

Finally setting down the prisoners food, she said, "How long has he been down here, being questioned?"

Kenta looked skyward, a thoughtful look on his face. "Mmmm, I'd say the better half of three days. Maybe four, I'm not completely sure."

"Still hasn't cracked yet, has he?" She asked.

"Nope! But that will soon change. Ha!" He said, thinking of the horrible things he had in mind.

"Well, unless the boss says kill him, don't mess up his face. Got it?" She commanded.

Kenta waved a hand at her dismissively. "Yeah, yeah!"

Turning to leave, Mimori gave Itachi one last look. "Mmmmm, I can't _wait_ to **toy** with him! It'll be SOO yummy!" She said lustfully, then made her way out.

"Alone again, Itachi. HA! Wouldn't your wife LOVE that, eh?" Kenta said, "YOU! Have sex with another woman! Hahahaha!"

Itachi had tuned them out long ago, not interested in anything the two had to say to each other.

"Ignoring me still? Fine." Kenta picked up Itachi's tray of food and threw it over the edge. After several seconds, the sound of a splash reached Itachi's ears. "You can do without this time."

The hard-faced man walked up to Akiko and picked her up off the floor by her arm. Akiko grimaced from pain; he hadn't even tried to avoid not touching any wounds. He picked her up so that her face was level with him.

"You're quite a looker, ain't ya, girly?" He said, continuing to examine her. After a moment, he dropped her back to the floor. "You're healing nicely. I'll give you a couple more days to heal. Maybe bring in the medic-nin to help it along." He said, turning to stride across the room and sit on his seat.

It had been three days since he stopped beating her. Confident that she was too afraid to try to escape, he had cut the bonds holding her wrists. Terrified at first that the beatings would persist, she cowered in the corner farthest from her beater, shivering like a naked person in the cold. By the end of the second day, however, Akiko had regained a lot of her composure, and tried to not act so scared, even though she still was. Naturally. Who wouldn't be afraid of someone who had beaten them black and blue, and then some?

"Alright. That's fine, Itachi. But you should know something… _We have your wife._" He said, smirking with satisfaction down at chained shinobi.

Itachi did not respond. His depression wouldn't allow him to feel anything for anyone at this point. WAS there a point? He didn't think that there was. It only made him more depressed to know that he should be feeling something, but wasn't.

"If you don't start cooperating with us, just so you know, we know about your involvement with Akatsuki, the slaughter of your own family... everything! We will tell Akiko aaaall about your past life. Then what will your sweet, trusting, innocent wife think of her oh, so wonderful husband? Heheheh."

At this, Itachi looked up at Kenta, his eyes narrowed just a little. "And why wouldn't I want her to know the truth? After all, she deserves to know. I'll only regret that I was unable to tell her myself." He conceded, letting his head hang down in resignation.

"Hmph!" Kenta smirked, snapping his fingers at one of the many guards around the perimeter of the wall. "We'll see." He said snapped confidently.

"Yes, Sir?" The guard came forward and asked.

"Go tell Ja-ku to spill it to Itachi's woman." Kenta ordered.

"Hai!" Then immediately retreated to the exit.

Kenta continued to smirk at Itachi. "It's late. I'm tired. I'll let you stew over that tonight and see if you'll be more willing to give us all the information we want. You know, after thinking about what you're loving, beautiful wife will think of you now." A slow, malicious smile spread across his face. "Good night, Itachi-kun. Heh!" Kenta said smug and patronizing.

The guard spoke briefly with the man guarding Akiko. "Alright. Thanks." He said, maliciously smiling.

"Hai, Ja-ku!" He guard said before returning to his post.

The guard left, leaving the Akiko alone with her guard. He turned his evil smile on Akiko. Itachi's wife stared in fright at her captor, her mouth slightly agape.

"Well, well, well. Looks like I have free reign to tell you everything."

Akiko's eyes darted back and forth, as if searching for his meaning in the room. "Wha-what do you mean?" She asked in a whisper, her voice quavering.

"Guhguhguhguhguh!" He laughed Orochimaru-style.

"Let me tell you, Akiko, _about your husband_. Let me tell you... _everything_!" His voice more ominous than ever.

Akiko's eyes opened wide as saucers, her mouth slowly dropping open. "What-what do you know about I-Itachi-kun? M-my-my-my hus-husband?"

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**Thanks for reading!!! I hope you enjoyed it. ^___^"**

**Everyone and all who read, please review! All thoughts, opinions, questions, or anything else you can think if is much appreciated. :D**

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	17. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, OR ANYTHING OR ANYONE FROM THE NARUTO SERIES.**

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**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.**

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**Big thanks go to everyone who read and reviewed my previous chapter! Your reviews mean so much to me, I always appreciate them. ^__^ 8D**

**OMG, it's been forever, I know! I'm sorry you guys. :( It hasn't been easy being able to type the next chapter, especially with Fable II being a constant distraction. XDD I'll try not to let it distract me too much in the future. xD**

**This is my longest chapter YET! YAY! It took up almost six pages of Word, so grab a drink and a tasty snack and settle down! I do believe it was worth the wait. ^_^ At least, I hope you guys agree with me. 8D**

**I believe someone asked me how I got inspired for this fanfic. :) I'll take this moment to tell you. I was catching up on my manga reading when I had just finished the fight between Deidara and Sasuke, when I came to this panel: .(one manga. com) Naruto/364/04/ I looked at the close-up of Itachi, then read what Kisame said to him, about him looking like he was crying, and apologizing for the death of his younger brother. Then I looked back at the close-up of Itachi, and thought, "OMG, it really DOES look like Itachi is crying!" and it begged the question, What if Sasuke really HAD died that day? And then the whole plot for this fanfic flashed through my mind, and I knew I had to write it. That single shot of Itachi's face was my inspiration. **

**Let the epic feast begin! ENJOY!**

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**Chapter 17**

"GIVE US THE INFORMATION! YOU WILL PAY DEARLY IF YOU CONTINUE TO DENY US!!!" Kenta screeched unnecessarily, his face turning red.

Itachi's response was the usual. A bland, emotionless expression.

"Gah! I need a drink!" Kenta groaned, turning to his side and picking up a cup with sake in it. He gulped it down, sighing his satisfaction. "That hit the spot!" He said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Slightly tipsy, he turned back to Itachi.

Raising his voice, he said, "I should tell you, Itachi, that we will not hesitate to use torture. We're not above such tactics." He smugly informed the former Akatsuki member.

_I'm not afraid._

"Now, Itachi. Give us the information. If you tell us now, we'll spare you and your wife." He shrugged, waving a hand briefly. "If not, torture." He said, his face indifferent, his tone casual, his meaning malevolent.

"Go ahead, torture me." Itachi spoke, unmoved.

"Pffff! Torture _you?!_ Hahahahaha! No, no, no, no, Itachi! You misunderstand my intent! We do not mean to torture YOU! No, no, no." He said, walking up to the railing, placing both hands on it and leaning forward, a cruel, malicious smile spreading across his face. "We're going to torture _your wife!_" He threw his head back, laughing uproarsly, still clinging to the rail. His laughter echoed around the cavernous room.

Itachi jerked his head up at that last word, his eyes widening in horror. _My wife?!_

_THUD-THUD_

A tiny lock buried deeply within Itachi shattered, breaking away from its deeply rooted position on a dam in his heart. The dam exploded from the sheer force of the memories and too-long unfelt emotions as they flooded outward, to wash over his mind, heart, and body.

Itachi's upper body lurched forward as much as he could, his eyes opened wide, and he gasped for breath.

_Akiko….. _He thought, his mind rushing backward, overwhelmed with memories of his life with Akiko. Itachi sighed, his breath shaky.

_THUD-THUD_

_"I'm here for you, Itachi-kun."_

__

"I love you, Itachi-kun."

"Itach-kuni, dance with me!"

Akiko brought him a trey of hot tea. "I made this tea for you, Itachi-kun."

""It's ramen. My families own special recipe and I made it myself. I hope you like it, Itachi-san." She said, smiling shyly as she stood by his bed waiting for him to sit up.'

'I saved your life.'

'I saved your life.'

'… life'

_'… life'_

_THUD-THUD_

That last word echoed throughout the corridors of Itachi's mind. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, his breath coming in fast and deep.

At that moment, Itachi had an amazing breakthrough. Akiko LOVED him. Sure, she had said it to him before, but he had never really REALLY registered it till that moment.

Uchiha Itachi was struck just seconds later by another amazing breakthrough! An _epiphany_! A revelation! Uchiha Itachi formerly of Akatsuki, formerly of Konoha, loved Akiko back! He didn't _just_ love her, he was IN love with her!

The previously depressed Uchiha felt his very soul open up, and shudder with the very love that had awakened his being, like a young Uchiha awakening his Sharingan for the first time. His whole body felt light, weightless even with the emotion of love. It burned through his body, momentarily scaring off the cold air around him.

_So this is love… ?_ At long last he knew what it felt like to truly love someone again. He had forgotten. _I've got to save Akiko-chan!_

Head bowed to look at the ground, Itachi inhaled slowly through his nose, then let it out equally slow through his mouth, a puff of cold air appearing, billowing briefly before dissipating. Uchiha Itachi exuded power. He took one leg resting from the knee and down on the floor and with a mighty effort picked it up off the floor and set it, soul first, onto the floor. Itachi looked up to an astonished Kenta, immobilized with the incredible feat he was watching.

"He is breaking lose!!!" Kenta yelped in panic, turning towards the guards. "STOP HIM!!" He yelled, pointing frantically towards Itachi.

One of the guards' hands flashed in hand signs, saying something indiscriminate. A huge stone javelin came hurtling towards Itachi. Leaning to one side, the Uchiha moved the chain on the other wrist into the path of the javelin. On impact, both javelin and chain broke. Another stone javelin followed, flying through the air. Itachi moved the other chain in the path of this one, with the same effect. Three feet of chain on each wrist dangled from the cuffs still around his wrists. Two huge splashes sounded in the gap, faaar below where Itachi was.

"HE'S FREE!!!" Kenta screeched in panic, running up to another guard to shove him forward. "DO something, you fools!!! STOP HIM!" He yelled.

Two dozen more stone javelins came zipping through the air at Itachi. He stood perfectly still till the last moment, ripping the chakra suppressors from his face, and leaping high in the air. The javelins collided with each other, shattering. Coming to the ceiling, Itachi pushed off it with his feet, and came back down rapidly to land in front of Kenta.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Kenta stared hatefully at Itachi.

"_Tell me where my wife is. NOW!_" He demanded, his expression irate enough to melt rock.

Kenta ground his teeth together. "I ain't telling you SHIT!" He yelled, swiftly bringing out a kunai to plunge into Itachi's chest.

An inch from the targeted area, Itachi caught Kenta by the wrist, the chain around his own, lashed forward, wiping Kenta unpleasantly across his arm. Itachi used his other hand to get the keys from Kenta's pocket and had the unfortunate man unlock both his wrists.

"KILL HIM, YOU IDIOTS!" He yelled, spittle flying everywhere, once Itachi was un-cuffed.

One guard came up behind Itachi and put an arm around his neck. The Uchiha shoved Kenta away, snatching the kunai from his hand, and another from Kenta's kunai pouch. He threw the kunai at another guard that was coming at him, while grabbing the guard who had him by the neck by his arm and flipping him over Itachi to land on his back.

Another guard rushed at him from the front, aiming a stone javelin at his chest. Using one hand to block it, Itachi used the other to bring up between the guards right arm and the javelin and tore it from his grasp, using it to smack him on the head, knocking him out.

A different one leaped onto Itachi's back, wrapping both arms around his neck trying to suffocate him while another guard came at him from the front, aiming another stone javelin at him. A second before impact, Itachi leaned back so all of Itachi's weight was on the man on his back. Pitching forward, Itachi threw the man on his back forward at the one coming at him. He held onto his arm, however, and once the guard on his back was rammed through with the other guards' javelin, he slung the impaled guard at another that was coming at him.

Before anymore could rush him, Itachi jumped into the air and landed several feet away. He quickly searched for Kenta before the closest guard could rush him.

_Sharingan!_ He turned on his eye jutsu.

It was almost too late. Several kunai came flying through the air at Itachi's back. Using the kunai he took from Kenta, he whirled around and blocked all of them with lightening speed. One of them landed near his feet and he snatched it up to throw it into the neck of an oncoming guard. He fell to the ground, clutching at his throat, gurgling.

A slew of guards dashed at Itachi, all sporting either kunai or stone javelins. With blinding speed, Itachi formed the hand signals for the Uchiha signature move.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!!" A huge spurt of flames shot forth and consumed the group of guard shinobi.

Six more ran towards him bearing the same weaponry as the last group. One by one Itachi took them on, deftly beating them till they lay on the ground motionless. At last, there was three left, plus Kenta.

The remaining three guards looked at each other hesitantly. When they didn't move, Kenta yelled at them, "ATTACK!!!"

Pushed towards battle and death, they came at Itachi. The first one that came the closest swung a fist at the former ANBU; he caught his fist in one hand, and as the guards other hand came up to punch him, the Uchiha prodigy brought up his other arm to impact with the guards' at the inside of the elbow, and shoved it harmlessly aside. Holding his fist, he swung the helpless guard at the wall. He made a sickening thud on impact, then fell to the floor.

The next one leaped through the air at Itachi, throwing 4 kunai at him. Itachi jumped up to meet him in the air, bringing one leg above his head to smash it into the guards head, sending him flying towards the ground. He, too, landed with a sickening thud.

Itachi landed lightly on his feet, staring at the final guard. When he came at him, Itachi jumped over his head to land behind him, picked up one leg and swung around with it to kick the guard in his back. Itachi's kick sent him flying to tumble down a set of stairs some distance away.

The last of the guards dead, Itachi slowly turned to face Kenta. He fixed him with his infamous glare and asked him one more time, "Tell me where my wife is, Kenta." Itachi's voice deathly calm.

"Tch! As if I'd tell you! The Boss will have my head if I do!" He answered, glaring back at Itachi, while taking a fighters stance. "I'll die before I tell you." He lowered his voice threateningly.

Kenta put his hands together in a hand signal, murmuring, "Kage no Bushin Jutsu!" Creating three other clones. The clones and Kenta attacked Itachi as one.

Ducking low to the ground at the last minute, Itachi took a big step forward, stretching his arms out and lunging upward. Catching all four in his lunge, he pushed backwards and up, sending the flying to fall a few feet behind the Uchiha. Leaping in the air, Itachi landed on the back of one, causing it disappear. This gave the others time to stand to their feet.

One of the Clones bounded at Itachi, raising a leg to kick him. Casually, Itachi lifted an arm to shove the foot from his face. This caused the Clone's body to turn in such a manner to bring his head closer to Itachi. Akiko's husband drove his fist home into the Clone's face, making it disappear.

Right behind the previous one, the last Clone struck wildly out at Itachi in hopes of landing a blow. Using only one hand, Itachi blocked all of the last Clone's fist attacks. While Itachi was busy with this last Clone, Kenta himself rushed at Itachi's back. Catching the Clone's left fist, Itachi jerked that arm towards his chest, using his elbow to smash into the Clone's head. The Clone vanished. Right as Itachi did this, he kicked back one leg to catch Kenta in the chest.

Kenta doubled over from the pain, falling to the floor. He rolled away and got back to his feet, grimacing his chest throbbing. "I'm not finished yet." He gasped, leaping further away from Itachi to catch his breath.

"Your Shadow Clones are gone. What now? Are you ready to tell me where Akiko is?" Itachi asked calmly, fixing his opponent with his notorious stare.

"NEVER!" He spat, clutching his chest.

Making hand signs rapidly, Kenta muttered "Stone Dragon Jutsu!"

A large Stone Dragon rose from the rock floor, it's head narrow and vicious. It opened its mouth wide, hissing, then attacked. Stepping to the side, Itachi let the Stone Dragon pass harmlessly by, catching it by the tail as it went passed his head. Gripping it tightly, he used his other hand for leverage as he snapped it off. He chunked it at Kenta, showing him that no matter what he used on him, Itachi would still beat him.

Kenta ducked to miss being hit by the tail of his dragon. "Tch!" He exclaimed, glaring at the former member of Akatsuki.

The Stone Dragon turned around, screeching at Itachi before charging again. As it got closer to him, he jumped out of the way, landing with his back to a wall. The dragon turned around and headed towards Itachi again. A hairs breadth from him, Itachi side-stepped the attack, the Stone Dragon colliding with the rock wall, shattering it.

"Tch!" Kenta exclaimed again, reaching into an inner pocket and pulling out a scroll. He snapped it open, revealing several characters. Bringing one hand up to form a sign, he mumbled something indiscernible, releasing the jutsu. Several weapons flew out towards Itachi, two of them a ball and chain and a sickle and chain. As they sailed through the air at Itachi, the Uchiha leaped in the air, snatching the sickle and chain before it could hit the wall. He landed softly on his feet, the chain in his left hand, the sickle in his right.

During some of Itachi's free time in Akatsuki when he wasn't on a mission for Leader, he dabbled in learning to use different weapons than normal. The first one he mastered was the sickle and chain. It was also a personal favorite of his, though he didn't use it very often because it seemed so impractical to carry around when he could handle most anything with his eye techniques.

Seeing no need to step the fight up another level, he kept it at the one it was at now. Unless his enemy seemed more lethal that he presumed, he would not be using his Sharingan and its many abilities.

Uchiha Itachi loosened his grip on the sickle and let the chain slip through his hand till he had about three feet of it in his right hand. He slowly began to twirl the chain in his right hand, giving Kenta an even look, silently telling him that he would kill him if necessary, as much as Itachi didn't like killing people.

"Are you willing to fight me to the death? In order to keep from telling me where my wife is?" Itachi asked calmly.

"Damn right I am!" Kenta yelled spitefully.

Itachi slightly moved his head down and to the side, closing his eyes. "So be it." He said, then opened his eyes, adjusting his head to look Kenta fully in the face. "If you force me to, I will kill you." He told his enemy.

"Then you'd just be prepared to kill me, because I REFUSE to back down! And I won't let you escape alive!" Kenta yelled, pointing a finger at Itachi and taking a step forward.

"Very well." Itachi replied, twirling the sickle faster now.

Ripping out another scroll, Kenta repeated the process, only sending kunai flying at Itachi. To block, Itachi twirled the sickle rapidly in front of himself. One kunai was deflected back at Kenta and lodged itself in his shoulder. Kenta grimaced, grinding his teeth together. He reached one hand up and pulled the kunai out and flung it to the ground. _I have to end this quickly. This guys more lethal than an adder's bite._

Stooping low, Kenta rushed at Itachi, snatching several kunai from the floor, throwing them at his opponent one at a time. Each one Itachi knocked aside with the sickle. Almost upon Itachi, Kenta scooped up one more kunai, planning to attack Itachi in close range.

As Kenta straightened back up, he screeched a halt as the sharp tip of the sickle whistled past the front of his eyes by centimeters. His eyes widened in shock, sweat popping out all over his brow, mouth dropping open. Kenta nearly dropped the kunai in his surprise, then leaped backwards, quickly pursued by the sickle.

Mimori's would-be lover was being chased toward the wall. Reaching it, he whirled around, ducking his head to only just miss being decapitated by Itachi's sickle. Wrenching his arm back the sickle came whizzing back to his open hand. Twirling it quickly, he threw it back out at Kenta. _Shit! He's got me on the defensive. I can't attack him as long as he's got that weapon!_ Leaping towards the rafters, Kenta hunched on the side of the wall, trying to think of a plan. He was there for mere seconds before the sickle was coming at him again.

_Too slow!_

Kenta jumped away from the wall, and tried to duck behind a chair. The sickle ripped through the chair, turning it into splinters. On the run, and out of tricks without time to think some kind of offensive plan, Kenta bounded everywhere, the sickle hard on his tail.

He was becoming desperate; he never seemed to realize till now just how weak of an adversary he was. Kenta's strengths lied in tracking, setting traps, and interrogation. However, Itachi was too powerful an enemy to interrogate the usual way. Had Itachi been an ordinary Shinobi, or even one of moderate strength, Kenta could have used his normal tactics. But even with the bosses' chakra suppressing goggles, Itachi was still too dangerous. Kenta wasn't meant for fighting, though he did have a small degree of ability in it. It was definitely his weak point, though.

Wherever Kenta went, the sickle was hard on his heels, leaving a scarred trail in its wake. _This guys really determined!_ He dodged to the side, landing out of the sickle's path. Kenta paused briefly to catch his breath, but before he knew it, the sickle was swinging up from behind him. A hairs breath from being sliced in two, Kenta flipped backwards over the deadly weapon, getting a glimpse of it as he sailed upside down through the air. The blade severed a lock of hair as it passed below Kenta. A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead and his eyes widened significantly. _That was close!_

The interrogator landed on his feet and caught his balance with one hand. "Tch!" He glared at Itachi, his brows furrowed in anger, and frustration. Kenta quickly formed some seals, murmuring the jutsu name, "Earth Release: Stone Claw Jutsu!"

From the concrete floor Itachi was standing on sprung several long impaling stone 'claws'. But Itachi wasn't there anymore. While Kenta had been forming the seals, Itachi whipped the sickle to his hand and just a heartbeat before the jutsu went into effect, Itachi leaped gracefully into the air, sailing towards the ceiling. As his feet hit the ceiling, he shoved off, turning himself in mid-air to land feet first on the floor several feet from where the stoney spikes had shot out.

"Damn!" Kenta fiercely whispered, biting the left side of his bottom lip. He started to clench and unclench his fists as he realized that he wasn't going to make it out of this alive, either way.

Uchiha Itachi twirled the sickle and chain in his hand once again, staring all but blankly at Kenta, save for a fierce determination in his eyes. "Tell me where you are keeping my wife, and I will spare you." He casually told his nemesis.

"Ha! Even if I told you and you DID spare me, the boss would not! Either way, I'm dead! But this way I can chose how leave the world. And I chose to go out fighting!!!" Kenta screamed at Itachi wildly, his eyes round and blazing with fear.

"As you _wish!_" Itachi said, throwing the well-aimed sickle on the last word.

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**Phew! How was THAT?! Good??? Worth the wait?**

**Please review and tell me what you think! All reviews are most welcome (except flames, that goes without saying), I love to know what your personal thoughts are on the story and chapter. ^_^**


	18. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, OR ANYTHING FROM 'NARUTO'.**

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**WARNING: ADULT CONTENT**

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**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter! =D I -heart- you guys. ^_^**

**I know; it's taken me FOREVER to post this one but I got side-tracked a lot by video games and sex and stuff (just kidding! :P), but seriously. Video games are distracting. So, I'm sorry. :( I did have the time, I just kept putting it off for some reason. I think I'm back in my grove though, because I finished typing chapter 19 this morning. :D**

**Without further adu (spell check on that word, anyone?), chapter 18! YAY! Enjoy, everyone!**

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****Chapter 18**

Akiko stared numbly into the distance, her soft mouth slightly parted, pupils dilating. Was it true? Was it really true that Itachi had done all those things… ? Surely it wasn't? Surely it _couldn't_ be?! Her captors' voice echoed in her mind.

_'In a single night, Uchiha Itachi wiped out his entire village. Friends, father, mother, everyone. Everyone, that is, but his little brother… Sasuke. And he did it all for a single reason: Power! The destruction of his clan was worth their weight in power to Uchiha Itachi.'_

He killed his very own FATHER? His MOTHER?? Akiko clenched her eyes shut, two tears squeezing out to sit at the corners of her eyes. And then after he killed every Uchiha in Konoha, he joined a horrific terrorist group, Akatsuki, where he captured several Jinchuurinki, then killed them to extract the chakra beasts within.

The virgin wife cast a frightened look at her subjugator, wondering at how much truth were in his words. She looked away, flinching when he looked back at her unexpectedly. She gripped her arms in fright, striving to hide her alarm when he met her eyes.

"Hey! You, girl!" He called, turning in his chair to face her in the half-lit room.

Akiko slowly turned her head in his direction, avoiding eye contact as much as she could. "Y-yes?" She answered obediently.

"That Mimori bitch hasn't brought me anything to drink since yesterday! Fix me some tea, wench. I'm dyin' of thirst over here. Maybe I'll even give you some!" He said, standing, then walked over to Akiko and cut her bonds.

Akiko stumbled to her feet, flinching back from the man's touch. "O-okay." She stammered, not sure of what to do next.

"I heard Kenta tell someone that you know a thing or two about plants. Said you probably had your own special tea mixture." He said to the girl, waiting for a response.

"Well? Do ya?!" He yelled when she didn't answer.

Akiko flinched again, involuntarily taking a step back till she was against the wall. Without warning, the man's hand lashed out, striking Akiko across the cheek with the back of his hand when she didn't answer immediately.

"AAH!" She screamed when he struck her, making her head knock against the wall.

"Answer me!" He bellowed in her face.

Akiko blenched, closing her eyes briefly. "Y-yes." She answered.

Turning away from her, the prisoner keeper walked back to his chair and sat down. "Good. Fix me that to drink. But add some booze to it. It always makes tea taste better."

With her face turned away from the guard, Akiko's eyes grew wider than saucers, her mouth dropping open as she gasped silently. Slowly, her dropped open mouth formed a devious smile, and her eyes narrowed, glinting in the half-light.

Strength returning to her weakened mind, in a steady voice she said, "Of course, master."

The man just grunted, and grabbed a bottle of sake and tossed it at Akiko. She caught it deftly, then sat it down. "I will need to gather some herbs for the mixture." She told him.

The captor looked at her suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. "Huh. Fine! But I'll be keeping an eye on you so don't even think of trying to escape!" He said it just so he could say he had warned her, but he really didn't believe that with the beatings he had given her hadn't scared her into submission. He believed whole-heartedly that she was too scared to run.

The horrible man walked to Akiko and grabbed her by the shoulder with one hand. He then shoved her towards the door. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a key, unlocked and opened it, then pushed the young woman out into the bright sunshine. Akiko grimaced in the brilliant daylight, shielding her eyes from the sun. When her eyes finally adjusted, she blinked repeatedly, looking at her surroundings.

She had been kept all this time in a sturdy little rectangular shack near the top of the hill. The shack was made of wood, and thus dark brown. It was rather small on the outside, but it looked much more spacious inside. Turning to look at the top of the hill, the Uchiha wife thought it looked as if it were the edge of the world, like it suddenly dropped off into a shining abyss, for it did not seem the least bit dark.

All around the little shack were trees and various different plants. Akiko could tell right away, just by being able to name a few of the plants right off, that she'd be able to find the right plants for her tea, even her secret ingredient. This knowledge comforted her, and she silently basked in the thought that it was entirely possible for her to escape these people who held her captive. And it was just after midday, so Mimori wouldn't be back for several hours with a meal for her and _the man._ She still didn't know his name, though at one point when Mimori had brought them food, she thought she heard the name Ja-ku, but she wasn't very sure.

Out of the corner of her eye, Akiko noticed that quite a distance off through the trees, diagonal from the hut was another building. It was much larger than the hut she was kept it, and the roof was dome shaped. It was reddish brown in color, but the woman's eyes were so attuned to the outside world it wasn't hard for her to distinguish the difference between nature, and man-made, even at this distance.

"Get to stepin' little missy!" He said, shoving Akiko forward with his foot.

"Ga!" She uttered as she fell forward. She turned to look at her captor. His skin was tan, and rough like leather. His eyes lost none of their hardness, and they glinted wickedly in the daylight.

Uchiha Akiko clambered to her feet and looked around for a place to start. "Hey! Quit lookin' around! We're headed that way!" He said, pointing to the left side of the shack. She looked that way, then back at her captor. She nodded , then turned and headed in the direction he indicated. Once in the woods, she began her search for the right plants, all the time keeping her eyes open for the deadly flower she needed. She knew it would be her only chance of escape. Takao's daughter had no idea that Itachi was in the immediate vicinity.

Nearly two hours later, Akiko had gathered all the necessary plants for her tea, and she and tanned-skinned man headed back to the shack. He got down the necessary appliances from high up shelves in the shack and gave them to Akiko to make the tea with.

She set to work making her special tea, trying not to feel paranoid about her prison guard knowing what she was up to.

"And don't forget to put the booze in there! Always makes it taste better." He reminded her, then sitting down on his stool after locking the door and watched Akiko as she made him tea.

Itachi's wife couldn't believe her luck. It was like providence had smiled down on her. Akiko had been able to collect plenty of the poisonous flower, which on its own, would take half an hour to do its job. He didn't suspect a thing, or he would have stopped her from collecting the deadly flower. But he also wanted her to add booze to the already lethal concoction. Perfect. Inside the deadly flower was a certain chemical that when mixed with alcohol sped up the poisons effect on the human body. He'd be dead within 15 minutes or less. Hopefully _less_. Akiko's guard gave her the effective means to kill him in nearly half the time it would have with the rice wine. Not only that but a particular component in the flower reacted to the alcohol, speeding up the rate at which the consumer became drunk. It was all falling into place. Her escape plan was set in motion.

Though she hated the thought of killing this awful man, it was kill him, or wait for HIM to kill HER. Akiko blocked out the end result for her captor, and swallowed the bile that rose up in her throat. It had to be done; there was just no other way around it. Aside from killing him, her only other regret was that he hadn't ordered to make him tea after dark. She'd just have to be extra cautious.

Because the process to make her special tea was so complicated and tiresome, it was over an hour before she had the water boiling and was just waiting to add her own brand of tea mixture. She would have barely enough time to escape before Mimori came calling. At the thought of being caught, Akiko's heart began to pound in her chest and she broke out in a sweat.

_Calm down, Uchiha Akiko! You can do this. You HAVE to do this. Just… take a deep breath… And relax._ Akiko exhaled slowly, quietly through her mouth. Her heart rate slowed to a normal rhythm and she stopped perspiring.

At last, the tea was finished. The Uchiha bride inhaled deeply of her tea. It smelled almost as good as it normally did, only difference was that it had an ever so subtle rotten tint to the otherwise lovely aroma. There was no way this man would notice it. He'd drink it right down. With her back to him, Akiko smiled deviously to herself. A second later, it was gone, and she turned around to face him.

"Finally! I've been waiting forever! Give it here, you bitch!" He growled at Itachi's wife. She came forward with the cup in one hand, the tea pot in the other. Handing him the cup, she gently filled it with tea, perfumed steam rising from the cup.

He sniffed it appreciatively, "Smells good." He murmured, blowing on it softly. Akiko took a few steps back, watching him through lowered lashes. He gulped it down in one mouth full, sighing satisfied.

"Pour me another cup, Uchiha bitch!" He barked at her. Akiko came forward quickly, pouring in another cup full. He blew on it once more and then gulped it down. "Another!" He barked again. They repeated this process twice more, each time the man drank lustily from his cup, as if he had just been stranded in a desert.

When it was clear he had had his fill, Akiko returned to her side of the room, set the pot of tea over the fire to keep it hot and then sat against the wall, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. So far, it had only been three minutes. The light blue eyed girl was sure this would be the longest 15 minutes of her life.

Two more minutes ticked by, and Ja-ku was feeling the effects of the booze. He had consumed too much too quickly, and little did he know that the flower was doing it's deadly work, intoxicating him completely, and flowing through his veins, slowly making its way to his heart. His mind became fuzzy, his limbs turned rubbery. Ja-ku, when drunk, never completely lost his motor skills. He had for some reason always been able to walk just fine, and his vision only became slightly blurry. Kenta's comrade, however, turned into something else all together. Ja-ku turned into someone Akiko was about to find out she liked even less.

Turning his gaze fully on Itachi's beautiful young wife, Ja-ku licked his lips. He noticed how soft Akiko's hair looked in the half-lit room; he noticed how smooth the skin of her face was, untouched by his beatings; he noticed full her lips, how they seemed to beg to be kissed. He noticed how beautiful her eyes were when she looked at him; he noticed how plump her soft, ripe breasts were, her thin waist. Through half shredded clothes he could see her shapely thighs.

Ja-ku pictured Akiko naked, asking him to take her. He imagined her shapely thighs wrapping around his waist, her ripe, nipple-hardened breasts in his face, asking to be suckled. Ja-ku's blood rose, and he could feel his phallus becoming erect quickly.

"Anyone ever tell you how _pretty_ you are?" Ja-ku asked, his voice rich with pure lust. He got up from his chair and approached her.

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**I hope you all enjoyed it! How was it???**

**Reviews are love! If you read this, then please review and tell me your thoughts! Or if you have questions, ya know... you can ask those too. ;p **

**I've started posting this on DA. ... Um... I'm not sure why I'm telling you that, but I just did. Just so you know. There you go. xD Okay, I'll stop now! xD**

**I'm feeling random today. But thats enough out of me. Ja ne!**


	19. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 19

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI OR ANYTHING OR ANYONE FROM 'NARUTO'.****WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT! **

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**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter! ILU bunches! =D And I appreciate it, too. ^_^**

**W00t! Finally I get around to posting this! I meant to do it yesterday, but my husband was acting like a total ja-ku. ;p Seriously, he was. And I'm really sorry, everyone! D8 Can you forgive meh? :-S**

I hope you like it! I'm really proud of this one; I tried especially hard to make it intense and sit-on-the-edge-of-your-sear thrilling-ish. Kinda. n_n;

**Let the reading begin! =D**

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**Chapter 19**

Kenta's back was against the rail. He glared hatefully at Itachi, who was determined to make Kenta tell him where Akiko was being held. Kenta was prepared to take that knowledge to the grave. There was no other choice. Things would go far worse for him at the mercy of his boss.

Constantly having to run from Itachi and dodge his attacks had left Kenta physically exhausted. His breathing was ragged, and it pained him to draw in air. He was out of moves. Might as well go out with a bang, right? Kenta pulled out a little remote control detonator. Why didn't he think of this earlier?? Oh yeah, he was being chased. Duh.

"Make one more move, Itachi, and I'll blow this place off the map!" Kenta gasped, holding it out visibly for Itachi to see.

"I already know about that. It's set to make this place implode, in hopes to kill me if something should go wrong. Nothing gets passed the Sharingan." Itachi told the desperate man calmly. "How do you know you are not already in my genjutsu?" He casually taunted Kenta.

Kenta's eyes widened and he started to sweat more. His hand holding the detonator began to shake. He started to look around himself for clues that he was stuck in Itachi's genjutsu. When he looked back up, Itachi was right in front of him, his hand gripping Kenta's wrist tightly.

"Let go." Itachi ordered softly.

No more will or energy left to refuse, Kenta loosened his grip on the detonator. Before it hit the floor, Itachi snatched it from the air.

The Uchiha turned to leave, and started walking towards the exit once he found it. "I'll find her myself." Itachi said.

Kenta ground his teeth together, frustrated beyond reason. His pent-up anger fuelled his spent body, giving him new energy. He searched the ground for something to kill Itachi with. He spied one of the guard's bodies nearby. There was a kunai lodged in his throat. Kenta went to the body and pulled it out.

"ITACHIIIIIII!!!!" Kenta yelled, charging the Uchiha, kunai poised to stab.

Itachi whirled around, detonator in a pocket and sickle and chain in hand suddenly, ready to defend himself. Before Kenta could reach him, Itachi twirled the sickle around a couple times real quickly, and then threw it out at Kenta, striking his ankles and knocking him to the ground. Only able to get back up to his knees, he glared up at Itachi. Pushing off the ground to put all his weight on his knees, Kenta threw the kunai at Itachi. Too tired to aim straight, the kunai hit the wall closest to Itachi and glanced off. The Uchiha had paid no attention to the misfired weapon; it wasn't a threat; the kunai flew straight for Itachi's side. By chance, and partially by bad luck, the kunai struck the detonator in Itachi's pocket.

The whole structure began to tremble.

Ja-ku stalked towards Akiko, his manhood visibly protruding against his clothes. Akiko's eyes widened in terror when she noticed it. Her whole body began to quiver and shake. The pink and purple haired woman couldn't think. Her mind froze, and her teeth began to chatter with fright.

Before she knew it, Ja-ku was standing over her, grinning vilely at her. "Take your clothes off, bitch! I'm gonna make you scream like a banshee! Heheheheh."

"What are you doing... ?! Please? No!" She found her tongue, whispering fiercely, and wrapping her arms around herself.

"I sssaid take 'em off-f! They're rags anyway. I know you want me, you filthy sssslut!" Ja-ku slurred, lurching forward and grabbed her arm. He jerked her to her feet violently and shoved her against the wall. "Take 'em off, or I will!" He threatened.

"Ah!" Akiko screamed as she hit the wall, clenching her eyes shut. She balanced against the wall, trying not to fall. "No!" She growled softly. Itachi's wife hoped she could hold out long enough till the deadly tea killed him. It had only been seven minutes so far. Eight more to go. She bit her lip and chewed it anxiously.

Ja-ku growled in frustration. His lust was rising, but she was making it difficult for him. He pulled her away from the wall and backed up a few steps. He began to rip her clothes off when the ground started to quake slightly. "No, please!" Akiko begged, futilely trying to keep some shreds of cloth to cover herself. In seconds Akiko stood before Ja-ku, cowering and naked. Ja-ku's eyes roved her body hungrily, licking his lips. He pulled his pants and underwear down and let them drop around his ankles. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to the ground. Akiko clenched her thighs together, trying to avoid looking at Ja-ku's protruding manhood.

_Pleeaase hurry!!!_ Akiko silently begged the toxins in Ja-ku's body. Her bottom lip was trembling uncontrollably, and tears began to form in her eyes. The man on top of her was trying to force her thighs apart with his knees while he held her wrists in both hands above her head so she couldn't cover herself.

Suddenly, a huge noise sounded outside the little shack, and the ground quaked beneath them. It sounded as if the earth was moving and the shack with it. Ja-ku paused, and looked up. He listened intently for several seconds. When no one came to the door after about 30 seconds, he went back to what he was doing. Taking both of Akiko's small wrists in one hand, he took his other to help force her thighs apart.

Ja-ku then took his hand and thrust it between Akiko's inner most thighs and searched for her cave. Akiko gasped in shock and tears began to pour from her eyes in a steady stream. Itachi's wife choked back her sobs, and stared up at the ceiling praying fervently for the toxins to kick in soon. Exploring her thoroughly with his hand, Ja-ku made an astonishing discovery, and he groaned loudly, his thick phallus beginning to throb with desire. His groan turned into a chuckle to learn this delicious secret.

"Well, well, well, aren't I a lucky man? I've got me a virgin bride! Hahahahahaha!!! After this you're husband will thank me for doing his job! You'll love it when _I_ pop your cherry! Heheheheheh!!!" Ja-ku laughed, savoring the thought of plunging into virgin flesh.

"**Oh, please, oh please, please please, pleee-ee-aa-aaa-aase!**" Akiko cried, pleading with the poison in Ja-ku's body, thoughts of her husband running through her mind. "_Itachi-kuuun!_" She sobbed. Akiko prayed without hope that her husband would come rescue her. Itachi-kun, where are you?! She thought desperately. If the flowers toxins didn't kick in soon, it would be too late. If _Itachi_ didn't come soon, it'd be too late!

Lovelorn, or of any kind of sexual contact for a while, Ja-ku was unable to contain himself any longer, so put his throbbing, pulsating phallus at her entrance. He took this opportunity to savor the feel of his manhood at her entrance for only a second. Just as he would have rammed his cock inside her, destroying her hymen, Ja-ku's body was seized by pain. His whole body became stiff with it and his heart hammered in his chest with fear. He could feel horrible, painful things happening inside his body like shards of glass were inside him turning rapidly as if on the 'liquefy' setting on a blender. Ja-ku's jaw clenched shut; it refused to move even an inch. His air passages began to constrict for a few seconds then began to slowly close up. He gasped for air through his clenched teeth, his eyes wildly moving in his head, nostrils flaring. After several seconds of this, Ja-ku let out a terrified gurgling sound, "GGGHHHHAAAAAA!!!" then collapsed dead on top of Akiko.

Shaking uncontrollably, and with tears still streaming down her face, she looked wildly from side to side, breathing in spurts, waiting to see if her would-be rapist was truly dead. After several seconds passed uneventfully, Itachi's wife began to, with some effort on her part, move the partially naked man from on top of her.

Just as the twenty-two year old managed to shift Ja-ku off and his body thudded as it hit the floor, the door to the shack burst open. Startling her, Akiko knew it was Mimori come to check on her, and her heart began to hammer more wildly in her chest, her whole body gripped in fears icy clutches. She looked up from her place on the floor and she came face to face with Itachi. The tears that had been running down her face instantly dried up. Her mind rejected the site of him at first, for she had known nothing of him being in the immediate vicinity. But when the image of her husband didn't vanish, she was still hesitant to believe it was truly him. Only a second had passed since the door was flung open. Just as quickly Itachi took everything in, realizing that Ja-ku had literally dropped dead before he could commit that act of nefarious evil. Somehow, his wife had managed to kill him right before. He'd get the details from Akiko later.

"Akiko-chan!" Itachi cried, and in an instant he was across the room. In the same moment Akiko had leapt from her spot on the floor and was immediately in her husband's arms. He cradled her on the floor. _Chan?_ Akiko thought, barely registering his voice. _That's the first time you've addressed me that way._ Uchiha Akiko thought, tears unbidden sprang to her eyes. She fiercely returned Itachi's embrace, so relieved was she to be welcomed in Itachi's arms.

"I feared I had lost you." Itachi whispered into her ear, tears glistening in his own eyes, his voice heavy with emotion. "I couldn't stand to lose you, too." Sasuke's older brother murmured in her ear.

_'Lose you, too'?_ Akiko thought, puzzled. It was with that sentence that Akiko recalled all that Ja-ku had told her of her husband's previous life in Konoha and with Akatsuki. She stiffened in Itachi's arms.

Uchiha Itachi brought his head back to look into his wife's face. "I'm so sorry for all the grief I've caused you. Can you ever forgive me? I… I love you!" He whispered passionately to her as he searched her face, her eyes for some answer.

Instantly Akiko's heart melted like butter over a flame and she flung her naked body against Itachi and clutched him to her. "I already have." She said through her tears of happiness.

Seconds later, Itachi drew Akiko to her feet. He took off his outer cloak and draped it around his wife's shoulders. "We have to get away from here before the others get here." Worry etched Akiko's face as she nodded in compliance. She put her arms through the cloak and wrapped it tightly around her naked form.

Her hand in his, they ran through the door and started heading up hill. Glancing over her should, Akiko could see four other people leaping swiftly through the trees at him. "Itachi-kun, behind us!" His wife warned.

"I know! We're almost to the top!" Just as he finished speaking, they reached the top of the steep hill, and froze dead in their tracks. Centimeters from the tip of their toes were a sudden cessation of the earth. Without realizing it, they both slowly leaned over the edge to see how long a drop it was. At the very bottom, Itachi estimated to be over a 900 foot drop, was the ocean, roaring as a lion as it pounded the wall of earth that was part of the cliff side. The wind at the edge whipped around them at high speeds, and only Itachi kept Akiko from being blown away.

As one, husband and wife turned back around and to see their pursuers closing in the gap. They'd be upon them in seconds. "What'll we do?!" Akiko shouted above the wind, tightly gripping his middle.

"I'm going to make a stand! I'll have to fight them!" He shouted over the wind.

Akiko gave him a questioning look. "You know how to fight?" She asked incredulously. Staring at the oncoming enemy, he nodded once.

_With the best of them._. He thought reluctantly.

"I won't be able to keep you on the ledge while I fight them. Lie down on the ground and make yourself as flat as possible. That should do the trick." Itachi yelled into his wife's ear so she could hear. She nodded, chewing her bottom lip.

_Will Itachi-kun be alright??_ She fretted.

"Master! We're almost to them! What shall we do?" Mimori asked as they raced through the trees. Just up ahead she could see her beautiful soon-to-be consort, Itachi, and his loathsomely equally beautiful wife, Akiko.

"Attack his wife when you get within range, Mimori. I think he will probably lose heart and be less inclined to fight us if she's dead. We may be able to take him in, in that case, without any of US getting hurt."

"Hai!" Mimori responded, forming few unique hand seals.

So not to lose her balance, Itachi had to help Akiko slowly down to the ground. When she was on her knees, still sitting upright and hanging on to her husband for balance, a sizable lock of hair plunged into Akiko's right shoulder, burying itself an inch deep. Blood spurted from the wound, and within an instant, Itachi had wiped out a kunai he had stored on his person from the fight earlier and cut the lock of hair. The momentum with which Akiko had been struck, and the sudden loss of stability, the wind buffeted Akiko, sending her flying over the edge of the cliff.

"**Itachiiiiiii!!!**" Akiko screamed as she began her decent down to the ocean, her eyes wild with terror, her heart beating frantically in her chest. Unknowingly, tears of fear sprung from her eyes.

"_Akikooooooo!!!!_" Itachi shouted in agony, he lunged for his wife, but he only grasped a single tear. He looked over the precipice, getting to his feet. "**NOOOOOOOO!!!**" Itachi screamed, fear crushing his chest. Tears brimmed his eyes. He had only just gotten her back, now he was losing her again!

Itachi glanced over his shoulder to see how much time he had left before they were on him. Just as he glimpsed the lusty woman Mimori, another lock of hair came at Itachi. Kunai still in hand, he rapidly stretched his arm out and sliced five feet of the hair off. It bounced as it hit the ground.

At that moment, the four allies who were Itachi's nemeses, pulled to a stop ten feet in front of Itachi. The biggest man Itachi recognized as the boss. He looked the same as he did the first time Itachi saw him. The only woman in the group he knew was Mimori. She looked the same as well. The other two were men he didn't recognize. One was short and stubby. He had thick curly red hair that had gone wild on top of his head. He sported an equally thick full beard of the same color, and had a large axe strapped to his back. His features were very rugged and rough, his skin darkly tan. He wore heavy clothes made of leather and tanned to perfection. There was no pattern, and the design was very simple. They were form fitting, but not tight, and revealed the extent of his muscle. On his feet were thick sandals that were wrapped around his thick calf muscles. His eyes were smoky gray and they smoldered with steely resolve.

The other man, who stood on the opposite side of the short one and Mimori, was the exact opposite: tall, and slender. He had long straight white hair that came down to the middle of his back. His face was lightly tanned and very smooth. His features were very fine. He had high cheekbones and light blue eyes that betrayed nothing but a gentleness in his soul. He had none of the darkness that the others possessed. He wore a simple white tunic with blue trimming, with matching breeches, and he had no obvious weapon other than a short curved sword strapped to his belt on his left side. On his feet the elfin like man wore simple light boots that allowed for easy movement. This guy was agile. Though he had a gentleness in him, his manner and posture betrayed a determination that would not allow him to let Itachi go free without a fight.

"I don't have time to fool with you! There's still a chance I can save Akiko. Be gone now, and I'll let you live!" Itachi shouted at them.

"And miss a chance to make you my consort?! Ha! Funny cute little man, you are." Mimori purred that last sentence like a kitten.

That said, the leader gave a signal and his three subordinates attacked.

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**I know, I know. It seemed kind of weird how the bomb got detonated, but it really didn't feel like something Itachi would do. Willingly and knowingly press the detonator. It just didn't seem like him. Or his style, ya know? I hope you can fogive me! =D**

**Please review if you read this and liked/loved it! =D I am a total review whore, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I practically live off of them. n_n; PLEASE REVIEW! =D**

**If any of you know an awesome artist willing to draw fanart for this fanfiction, please let me know! I've been wanting someone to draw some fanart for this for a while. I would love to do it myself, but I suck at drawing, and theres no way I could do either the gorgeous Itachi or beautiful Akiko any justic. T_T XDD**

**I'm going to try and finish writing this fic by Wen. or Thursday of this week, and try to have it all posted by then as well. There are at least two more chapters, because I'm finished typing ch. 20, and that's not the end. :P**


	20. Blackness Into the LIght Chapter 20

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACH, OR ANYTHING FROM 'NARUTO'!**

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Huge thank yous go out to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter! ILU guys! :D

And now, apologies to all my fans out there who have been patiently (or impatiently), waiting for me to update! T_T I know, I'm terrible to leave you guys hanging like that. :( -cries- I'm deeply sorry, everyone. :( I got really involved in the church I was going to (still am), but just couldn't find the time to finish the chapter till my husband made me a brand new computer that could stay at home JUST FOR ME! xD And now I can type on it whenever I want, for as long as I want. ^_^ Isn't that AWESOME?! And he just finished it like last week, I think. But today, as I was finishing chapter 21 I realized I needed a keyboard because keys "p" "'" ";" "?" and the down arrow key don't work. T_T;; That's kind of mega ultra weak sauce right there. And it was totally cramping my style, 'cause I had to copy all of those keys I needed to type, then paste it whenever I needed it, then backspace everything else that I didn't need. X_X Let me tell you, that SUCKS!

My Christmas tree is up, and it's beautiful! :D I hope all of you out there who celebrated Thanksgiving this past Thursday, had an awesome Turkey day, and had lots of things to be thankful for! ^_^

Now, without further aduo (sp?), I give you the long-awaited chapter 20! WOOT, WOOT! xD

Enjoy! =D

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**Chapter 20**

Akiko's terrified scream filled the air as she fell down the side of the cliff. It was such a long drop that she didn't even realize that she had to take a couple breaths of air to scream more. Wild with terror, Akiko couldn't hold onto a thought for more than a second. Once or twice on her journey to the ocean Akiko bumped against the edge of the cliff, earning more bruises and scrapes than Akiko ever had in her entire childhood.

Half way down, Akiko passed out from lack of air. Somehow though she managed to keep the cloak on that Itachi had put on her. When she finally reached the surface of the crashing waves, Akiko hit it with a loud smack that echoed off the cliff side. The impact brought Akiko abruptly awake. The salt water burned the open wound on her shoulder and it made her grimace, but she needed air, desperately. With all the strength she could muster, the blue-eyed girl struck out for the surface, fighting the constant battering of the turbulent ocean. Already having very little air Akiko didn't think she would make it. Pumping her arms and legs as hard as she could, Akiko passed out a couple times, but both times were very very brief. The second time when she came to, her hand brushed the side of the cliff. She recognized it immediately, and turned her body till she could press her feet against the submerged cliff side. Her lungs were at their bursting point, but she pushed off the wall with all her might, letting the air in her lungs out, but not daring to breathe back in.

After what felt like an age, Akiko reached the surface, exhausted. She sputtered for air, but was too weak from her struggle with the sea to keep swimming. Unable to fight the frothing, rushing waves any longer and physically beyond exhausted, Akiko passed out again.

Somewhere, in the sublevels of her mind, the unconscious wife could feel herself being tossed and pulled by the currents of the sea. Just when her body couldn't do without air anymore, her face would reach the surface and her body would automatically take a gasp of air. Somehow, Akiko knew she was just a toy for the seas turbulence, to be tossed to and fro at its will. It seemed like eternity after eternity passed by her, all the while Akiko slipping in and out of wakefulness. She glimpsed crimson blood and turquoise water. She felt searing pain in her shoulder and lungs. She heard the roar and howl of the ocean as if it was in her head, and then she was out again, viewing it all as if from someone else's perspective.

At one point, Akiko recalled looking up and feeling the bright sun beat down. Her eyes slowly surveyed the firmament above her head and she spied a low hanging branch sticking out from a small earthen edge, maybe 6 feet in height. Beautiful green grass hung over the edge, and swayed with the air from the ocean. The branch was actually a solitary plant, somehow sprouting from the dirt ledge side. It was only six inches above Akiko's head, and at the end of the branch, it branched off four different ways, and each little separate branch sprouted bright green bushy leaves that grouped together to look like a single unit instead of individual clusters.

Uchiha Akiko was so weak and exhausted at this point that she didn't realize that it had even registered with her what she did next. With a great effort, the beautiful, but greatly fatigued, young wife managed to reach up with one arm and loop it over the branch, resting her upraised limb in the crook of her elbow. With that, her consciousness failed her once more, though she continued to drift in and out.

_I-I-Itachi… _

While the ocean had tossed her about fervently, it had managed to rip from her body the only piece of clothing she had been wearing, Itachi's cloak. Akiko's nude body bobbed in the gentle pullings of the now calm ocean. The salt water bit at her open wound, spreading her blood into the water. Her long, loose hair flowered around her, moving freely with the gentle waves that lapped at her chin. Tiny crabs poked at her toes, and little scavenger fish shyly nibbled at her open wound, swimming towards it tentatively, then darting away again, almost flirtatiously, after taking a couple nibbles.

For all intensive purposes, she was dead to the world.

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Itachi gasped for breath, looking around him slowly. He had begun to think he would have to use Mangekyo Sharingan on these guys. Fighting all four at once was an unexpected challenge for him. It had taken longer than he would have thought, but then again, it had been some years since his fighting days. Itachi was slightly more out of shape than he cared to admit, but not so much that he'd lose.

His opponents lay on the ground around him. The leader, the hardest of the four to kill, lay just a few feet in front of Itachi, bleeding out. He looked up at Itachi and grunted, "This isn't over yet, Uchiha… Itachi…" He wouldn't be getting up again. Their ignorance and stubbornness had brought them to this end.

_I've got to find Akiko!_ He thought, spinning around and running to the cliff edge. He looked over the edge, wondering how far his wife could have swum. Worry pecked at his mind, but he refused to panic. Panic wouldn't save his wife. She was out there somewhere with a deep, open wound. She needed him now more than ever. Back in the hut she had killed that man with no help, but now she was defenseless.

Checking the ocean below with his Sharingan, Itachi found no traces of his wife, nor did he spy her chakra signature. Who knows what could have happened to her down there? Time was precious, and he couldn't afford to waste it. He retreated several feet further down the hill. Turning to face the hill top, Itachi sprinted to the top of the hill. He placed his feet carefully, so when he reached the edge, his right foot was balanced on the edge, calf muscles coiled like a spring, Itachi launched himself off the edge. He allowed himself to free fall at first. During his rapid decent to the ocean, Itachi positioned his body so he was falling head first. With perfect timing, Itachi put his hands over his head to form the diving position. A split second after, the Uchiha hit the water.

His body arched through the ocean depths as gravity pulled him further downward. Reaching the climax of his dive, Itachi stretched his arms out and began stroking and kicking his way to the surface. He gasped for air upon reaching it, but didn't break stride. While under the water, he had felt the tug of the current and it would have dragged Akiko further out to sea. Itachi treaded water for a moment, and yelled his wife's name. He called again, scanning the ocean in all directions. There was no reply, but for the call of gulls and the crash of the waves. Akiko's husband gritted his teeth in frustration, his brow creased with anxiety. He called her name once more, his voice perceptibly portraying his apprehension and fear.

For a moment, Itachi thought he could hear his name being carried on the wind, but it was so faint, he was unsure of whether or not it had all been in his mind.

"**AKIKO?!**" He called in question, taking a few strokes in the direction he thought it had come in. Itachi began to seriously doubt if he had heard it at all, or if he had just heard what he wanted to hear, long, _ached_ to hear.

Thinking she may have drowned, Sasuke's older brother began to search far below the surface of the ocean water for his bride's body. He searched laboriously for more than an hour for several kilometers near the cliff face. When he couldn't find a trace of her, and he had scoured the depths thoroughly, and turned over every rock, he pulled himself out of the water, beginning to walk upon it.

Uchiha Itachi commenced his search fervently above water, at first, in his desperation, running here and there like a chicken with its head cut off. Realizing he was beginning to panic, he stopped just long enough to calm himself.

_If something is frightening me, or has me upset, then I will MASTER it!_ He challenged himself, setting his jaw determinedly.

Standing still, he brought his one hand up in front of his chest. First two fingers and thumb upraised, he thought, _Sharingan!_, for in his frantic search he'd forgotten to use it. Eye jutsu in use, Itachi continued his feverish search.

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Akiko floated on her back, adrift on the ocean's surface, her hair splayed around her. She gazed up at the azure sky, the sun a blazing ball of yellow fire beat down gently on Akiko's naked body. The young wife thought it strange that the sun wasn't beating her mercilessly with its UV rays. Soft, downy clouds drifted by on a breeze that did not touch this part of the firmament. A Sea Gull glided over head, its black-tipped wings appeared smooth like silk. It looked down at Akiko, and blinked, cocking its head to one side and then other, as if to say "What a strange creature you, come and join me in the sky!" Akiko wanted to reach out to it, but her arms wouldn't move. The gull called to her, like it had changed its mind and flew past, leaving the lone woman to her floating.

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Itachi scanned the horizon, using his Sharingan to look for his wife's chakra flow. In his search for his missing bride, Itachi had run across the surface of the water for what felt like miles. Time was running out. He could feel it slipping away from him. With every passing moment Itachi knew his chances of actually finding her alive were slimming down, like a wood carver widdeling a stick down to nothing. The hope that had blossomed in his chest earlier was now wilting, though Itachi desperately clung to any hope that remained. In his desolation and the darkness of his despair, a light had found him. It had rushed up to meet him, but now it was a far off speck, like a star in the sky. A dying star.

Concentrating till his jaw ached, Itachi started dashing ahead for several, searching in all directions, and when he didn't find her, dashing ahead some more. Frustrated, Itachi bit his lower lip till it bled.

"Where are you?!" He whispered, clenching his fists. Time was closing in on him. Itachi could feel Akiko's life force ebbing away. How much time was left? How long till it was completely gone? Itachi was afraid of the answer.

Out of the corner of his eye, the Uchiha spied something floating in the water. He raced towards it and stooped over to pick it up. _My cloak!_ He thought with horror. Uchiha Itachi put it over one shoulder.

To the West, Itachi could make out some land. If she was alive, and had somehow managed to swim away from the danger, but still towards land, it was likely she was over there. Daring to hope she may yet live, he ran towards it at top speed.

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Akiko felt a breeze graze her skin, that which was barely above the surface of the water. It tingled her skin and she opened her mouth to giggle, but nothing came out. Instead, water rushed into her mouth. She spat some it out, and tried to cough out the rest, but spitting seemed to be the extent of control she had over her body. In the blueberry sky, a cloud passed by shaped like a bear reading a scroll. _How odd_, the woman thought. The gull that had previously invited her to play with it decided to come back. It brought friends with it this time, several of them. They all called down to the woman, in a yammering sort of way. Then, one of them landed on her shoulder. Another alighted upon her upper chest. The rest of them landed on her upper body and began to peck at a spot above her heart in her shoulder. Stop it! She wanted to yell at them. Her body was completely immobile. She couldn't swim away, or move her arms to knock them off her. They were eating her! The Sea Gulls just kept pecking away at her shoulder till she was bleeding profusely.

"AKIKO!"

The gulls vanished, but the wound remained. Somewhere above Akiko's head, a familiar voice shouted her name. It sounded panicked, close to hysterics… But, why? It was a beautiful day. Why should someone sound so terrified? Had someone seen the gulls attacking her?

"AKIKO!"

There it was again, her name. Shouted by the same person. This time, however, their voice was less panicked, and relief flooded it. Why was that voice _so_ familiar?

Akiko managed to open her eyes the tiniest of cracks. Everything was still bright, but very very fuzzy. She could make out the light blue sky, funny white patches against it, and the deep blue-green of the ocean. Just ahead of her Akiko could see a familiar form wading through the water towards her. They had dark, long hair that clung to the person's body, and they wore steely gray clothes.

The woman with pink and purple hair shut her eyes, and looked back up at the blue sky as she floated on her back. A gentle wave passed under her, lightly picking her up. If it wasn't for that horrible wound in her shoulder, it would be a perfect day.

Itachi waded through the shallows as quickly as he could towards his wife. The water was almost to his shoulders, so it wasn't very easy. Miraculously, his wife had managed to hook her arm over the branch of a plant that had somehow sprouted from the side the overhang. Holding his breath, he reached under the water and placed his arms under the knees and back and lifter her out of the water. Leaping to the surface of the water, Itachi took his cloak and covered his wife's naked body, then jumped to the top of the overhang and walked off.

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**Real fans leave reviews! =D :P Please, everyone, if you made it this far, leave a review! All are welcome! I'd love to hear all your thoughts on this chapter. ^_^**

**You know how when you're watching a movie, or reading a book, and one of the characters is kind of dying, or something, and they're in some kind of imaginary world where they go to do (or something), and then someone from the real world brings them back? Yeah. Something like that happens, you know what I'm talking about? Well, yeah. That's what was happening to Akiko there.**

**I hope you loved it! =D Or at least liked it a little. n_n;**

***HUG*! 8D**


	21. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 21

******Just pretend like this part is centered. ------ DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI OR ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE FROM NARUTO.**

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**(Yeah, I know that part looks centered NOW, but before I typed that arrow and that sentence before the disclaimer, it would have appeared on the far left side like everything else. For some reason it REFUSED to stay centered AFTER I had just saved it being centered. This whole editing process has not been working out very well for me. This is the 3rd time I've uploaded this document, 'cause I deleted it twice because it insisted that the whole document be italiced, EVEN THOUGH it was not so moments before I hit the 'save' button. )**

**A super huge THANK YOU to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter! ILU! =D You guys rock. ^_^**

**Alright! I'm updating a little bit faster now! Aren't I? It's all thanks to my awesome hubby making me an awesome computer! Even though my keyboard was kind of ghetto. :\**

**I HAS A NEW KEYBOARD NOW! But I didn't get it before I had FINISHED typing this chapter without the full and proper use of my keyboard. I did a LOT of copying and pasting, and right clicking and seeing if there was an option available with an accurately spelled word and/or appropriate punctuation. :D Thank GOD for Microsoft Word and it's automatic speller fixing! W00t! So, yeah. I hope you guys appreciate the trouble I went through to type this chappie up for you. :P ^_^ But I still managed to thoroughly love writing every letter of it... because, hey. I love writing, and I love writing this fanfic. ^___^**

**So, the beginning of this chapter kind of sucks, but it gets a lot better. :D AND theres another flashback in this one! I'm really proud of it, and I think it's awesome, and I hope that all of you out there agree with me on that. n_n;; :)**

**REVIEWS ARE AWESOME! Don't be afraid to leave me one and tell me what you think. ^_^ All reviews are welcome!**

**Well, anywho... ON to the chapter! Enjoy, everyone! 8D**

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**Chapter 21**

Uchiha Itachi sat beside his wife's bed, watching her sleep in an abandoned hut a day's walk from where Itachi had rescued Akiko. Rain pelted down on the roof, and the iron colored clouds rumbled their discontent. Four days had passed since he'd rescued her, and she was just now able to sleep contentedly. With tenderness most would not assume Itachi was capable of, Itachi washed her body of the ocean, and cleansed her wounds. He took special care of her shoulder wound, the one which Mimori had inflicted on her.

From the time Akiko had fallen from the cliff to when Itachi rescued her from the ocean, the virgin bride had obtained various other flesh wounds from which she had bled from. She had lost a lot of blood, making her situation more precarious. Itachi had rescued her just in the nick of time. A little bit later and she would have bled out and eaten by the oceans wildlife.

Akiko's feet were elevated, and there was a cold compress on her forehead. They would help reverse the effects of high blood loss. When he had first brought her here, she was barely holding onto life by a thread, but Itachi knew just enough first aid to bring her back.

For the first day that Itachi was nursing his wife back to health, he had very little hope at all that she would survive. Her hold on life was so tenuous that if Itachi had even stumbled while carrying her and lightly bumped her head on something, she would have died. Any kind of light wound would have done her in. He took special care cleansing her shoulder wound of everything the ocean had washed into it. There had been a lot of gritty sand and ocean salt in it, but now no more.

Not once since he found her did his wife open her eyes of her own accord. There had been a couple of occasions in which in her feverish delirium she'd opened them, dreaming of the horrors she had endured while in captivity, but other than that… nothing.

Itachi waited anxiously for a sign that his wife was getting better, healing. He looked off into the trees. The east wall of the little hut no longer existed, and the young Uchiha stared through the gap, remembering days gone past. He momentarily let his mind wander, and as Itachi was wont to do, his thoughts lingered on those of his younger brother….

_"Itachi-kun, watch your brother while I go out. I need to pick up some things for supper tonight." Sasuke and Itachi's mom said as she headed out the front door, a basket on one arm._

_"Yes, moom!" Itachi called after her. Eight year old Itachi turned his attention to three year old Sasuke._

_"Well, Sasuke-kun, mom is gone for a bit, and dad is at work. We have the whooole house to ourselves! What do you want to do first?" Itachi asked his little brother excitedly. Being so young, it was rare that the two were ever left alone like this._

_"Piggyback riiide!" Sasuke shouted out, throwing his arms into the air, his sweet, young face jubilant._

_Itachi grimaced, remembering how his back had hurt the last time he'd given Sasuke a piggyback ride… for four hours. "Isn't there something ELSE you'd rather do besides that??" Itachi asked, in hopes he could sway Sasuke's mind._

_"Piggyback ride!" He shouted again, the grin on his face widening._

_"How about—"_

_"Piggyback ride!"_

_"What if--- "_

_"Piggyback!"_

_"What about—"_

_"PIGGYBACK!" Sasuke yelled at Itachi, his tiny fists balled tightly._

_Itachi threw his hands up in resignation and then slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Alright, you win. Piggyback ride it is. Again." He loved teasing Sasuke at this age. He was too young to know any better and always thought that he'd won a great battle over his older brother._

_"YAAAAAAYY, WOO-HOOOO!" Sasuke yelled, running two laps around his brother before leaping on his back. "Let's go, Itachi-kun!"_

_Itachi caught him with ease, but Sasuke wasn't a little baby anymore. "Oof! Have you gotten bigger, Sasuke-kun?!" Itachi asked his little brother, feeling the pride well in his chest. Sasuke was getting so big…_

_Sasuke giggled, covering his mouth with both hands. "Of course I have, Itachi-kun!" He said, then gently kicked Itachi in the sides with his heels and said, "Less talking, more piggyback!" Itachi set off around the house, prancing and hopping as he went._

_It was a few minutes later that Itachi realized that Sasuke had stopped giggling. He stopped, and when Sasuke didn't push him to keep going, he became really concerned. Sasuke's older brother looked over his shoulder to look at him, and saw that Sasuke was curled up against his back, his face buried in his shirt. He suddenly became aware of how hot his little brother was._

_Itachi went into his bedroom and laid Sasuke on his own bed, which was larger than Sasuke's. His little body was burning up, yet he shivered as if a constant wind were blowing on him._

_"Sasuke-kun? Sasuke-kun, can you hear me??" Itachi whispered fiercely into his ear. His beautiful, young eyes stared at his little brother's face, wider than he thought possible. The older brother's eyes shimmered with concern, even more so when Sasuke didn't open his eyes._

_"Sasuke? Sasuke! Sasuke-kun, open your eyes!" Itachi spoke loudly into Sasuke's face. He waited to see if Sasuke would open them. Itachi's heart thumped loudly in his chest, panic looming in the very near future._

_Several heart beats later, Sasuke's eyelids trembled as he forced them open. His cheeks burned brightly. "Bro-ther… Why is it so cold in here… ?" He asked, his tiny voice weak._

_Itachi's eyes bulged with alarm and he breathed in sharply. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun, I'll fix that right away!" The words rushed from his mouth as he picked his little brother up, slid the blankets back and laid his brother on the bed sheets. Itachi lovingly removed his shoes and socks and shirt, and replaced the shirt with a long-sleeved nightie, then pulled the blankets up to his chin, and tucked him in snuggly. Itachi then positioned a stool by the bed and sat on it. He pressed his hand first against Sasuke's cheeks, then his forehead, carefully calculating the temperature._

_"There," He said tenderly, "is that better?" He asked, his love for his younger brother reflecting in his eyes._

_Sasuke smiled weakly as he looked into Itachi's eyes and slowly turned his head to look straight up at the ceiling. "Thanks, brother." He hoarsely whispered, then immediately his head flopped to the side, eyes slowly drooping closed._

_"SASUKE!" Itachi shouted, leaping to his feet, knocking the stool over. "What do I do, what do I do?!" Itachi began to panic, desperately trying to think of something to do. He tapped his bottom lip and stared at the ceiling as he desperately thought of what to do in a situation like this. Suddenly, Itachi remembered when he was sick last year and his mom had taken care of him._

_"Cold compress!" He declared to no one, then ran off to prepare one. He returned with it a few short moments later, and began to mop up the sweat from Sasuke's face, cooling him in the process. When he finished that, he laid it on Sasuke's forehead, and gently moved Sasuke's head to look straight up._

_"Sasuke-kun, please be okay." He spoke softly to him, then ran off to get him a cup of water with a straw. When he got back, he gently woke Sasuke up, and sat him up so he could drink the water. "Sasuke-kun, you have to drink this water now, okay? You're running a fever, and your little body needs a lot of fluids. Will you drink this water for me?" Itachi lovingly explained to his little brother._

_Sasuke looked up into Itachi's eyes with all the trust and admiration in his whole, tiny little body. A small smile spread across his face, and he nodded his head yes, and began to sip from the cup._

_"That's a good boy." Itachi praised, returning Sasuke's look with one of love and heartfelt concern._

_"Itachi-kun?" He asked when he'd drained the cup._

_"Yes?"_

_"I want to be just like you when I grow up." He smiled up at him, admiration glowing in his fevered eyes._

_Itachi smiled back at him, his heart overwhelmed by the strong emotions bursting in it. A moment later, Sasuke drifted back into sleep_

_"I swear to you, Sasuke-kun. I will always protect you! No matter what." He mumbled under his breath._

_Itachi remained beside Sasuke till their mother got back home, watching over him._

_Though he didn't realize it at the time, even at that young age Itachi had loved his brother more than anyone else. And even would have died for him at that age. "I miss you, Sasuke." He said softly._

Without realizing it, a small smile had spread across his face as he reveled in this old memory.

"You're smiling… ?"

With a jolt, Itachi recognized his wife's voice and whipped his head around to look at her."Akiko-chan! You're awake!" He gasped with astonishment before looking into her eyes. Itachi's whole body felt like it was jolted full of electricity when he met her gaze. Those beautiful blue eyes, as lightly colored as the sky. They mesmerized him with their beauty, and the tender, yet fierce love that reflected in them.

Itachi studied her face carefully. He realized that he hadn't looked at his wife nearly enough, even before they got married. Akiko's beauty captivated him, and he gasped in spite of himself.

Akiko gazed back at her husband, surprised at the depth of emotion betrayed in his normally vague, steely eyes. She started to smile at him, but it froze on her face as she suddenly recalled what Ja-ku had said to her. Her smile turned into a hard frown and she rolled over so she couldn't look at Itachi's handsome face.

Itachi frowned deeply, disturbed by his wife's reaction. His brow furrowed with despair. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gently shook her. "What's wrong, Akiko-chan? Aren't… Aren't you happy to… be here with me… ?" Horrible thoughts of rejection _now_ ran through his mind rampantly.

"Itachi, " Her voice was detached when she spoke, "they told me some things about you… about your past." She sounded as if she didn't want to believe what she'd been told. Akiko hoped to receive denial about all those claims, but she wanted to hear the truth, too. Hopefully, they were the same thing. She shuttered to think that Itachi was as cold-blooded as they'd told her.

When Akiko said that, it was like her shoulder and his hand became polar parallels, and his hand removed itself from her shoulder. His eyes widened with shock and sadness, and he let his hand fall back into his lap, hanging his head low. He said nothing, too ashamed to speak.

"Is it true, Itachi? That… That you _killed_ your own family?!" She whispered incredulously. "That you joined a _terrorist_ group, and killed innocent Jinchuuriki just to get to their Bijuu for that disreputable group? That you killed numerous villages of innocent people for your organization??! Is it… Is it true, Itachi? I _must_ know."

Itachi looked at her forlornly through lowered lashes, keeping his head bowed. He never dreamed he would have to admit to her all the evil things he's done in his life, and he loathed admitting it, but he knew he couldn't lie to her.

"It's true." He confessed, barely above a whisper. "It's all true." As he acknowledged his evil deeds, he simultaneously felt a great weight fly from his shoulders, and a great sense of loss. He feared that with this confession he lost his wife.

Akiko stiffened at his profession of his crimes. She'd had a gut feeling that it was all true.

"Well, except for the part about killing villages. The only village I ever killed was… my families. Other than that, I never killed any innocents. That… That was always my partner, Kisame." He paused, letting it sink in, "He was always all too happy to slaughter the innocent… or anyone. Believe me, Akiko. After my family, who weren't entirely innocent anyways, I never took innocent life."

"And what about the Jinchuuriki's? He said you killed them, too." She stated coldly.

"No, I never killed them personally. I fought some, and turned them in to Leader Madara for Bijuu extraction, but I never dealt them a death blow." He spoke softly, feeling all hope of her still loving him drain like a broken pitcher.

"Even still. You slaughtered your entire CLAN! Well, he did say you spared your younger brother, but still. _Why_ did you do it??" She pleaded with him for an answer. "Did you really do it for… for POWER?" She whispered, praying that that wasn't the truth.

Itachi winced when she said that, then heaved a heavy sigh, clenching his eyes shut briefly before he spoke. "I guess I should have known I'd always end up telling you, one way or another." He heaved another sigh, then took a deep breath to begin.

"I did kill my entire family, it's true. But it wasn't for power. The Uchiha Clan was planning a Coupe. My own father planned to overthrow Konoha so that our Clan would be supreme once more. I was a member of the Konoha ANBU, and the most gifted Uchiha in a century. My father tried to use me as a spy on Konoha, but really I was spying on the Uchiha for Konoha. When I discovered they were planning a Coupe, I immediately reported it to the 3rd Hokage and the Elders. After much discussion, they decided that the best thing to do that would cause the least amount of bloodshed was to kill the entire Uchiha Clan, and only I could do it. First, I did away with my best friend to gain Mangekyo Sharingan. I would need that power to eliminate the whole of the Uchiha's." By this time, Akiko had turned over so she could look at her husband as he told her his tale. When Itachi mentioned the Mangekyo, he turned it on to show her.

When she saw it, the sudden change, and the oddness of it surprised her, and she gasped in spite of herself. "Mangekyo Sharingan." She whispered in awe, and a little frightened. Involuntarily, her whole body shuddered.

"When that fateful night finally came, my ancestor, Madara Uchiha, who was the leader of the Uchiha Clan when Konoha was first formed, came to lend me his power. Together, we killed the entire Clan; and they never even knew what happened. When I caught my parents by surprise and killed them, moments later, _he_ came in the door. My… my little brother, Sasuke, came home. He saw me covered in blood; he knew what I had done. I was ordered to kill every last Uchiha in the village, but… I… I just… _couldn't_. I loved him too much, and it would have taken a far greater effort to kill him than I could muster. Even our own parents were as nothing to him. I loved Sasuke more than the entire village put together. Sasuke asked me why I killed our family, and within a split second, I realized what I was going to do, and planned it all out just as quickly. I would let him live, but I would have to break his heart, then dance on it with spiked shoes, to get him to do what I planned for him to do. So that he could thrive in a world that would make him an outcast because of my sins. I knew that he would need a strength that the truth could not give him. Strength that he could nurse and grow, and give him the courage to do what was necessary to gain enough power to kill me with his own two hands."

He paused, exhaling softly, remembering when he learned that his dearest little brother had joined up with that low-life, Orochimaru. At first a fear so strong it had almost choked him, gripped his whole body. His first worry was that Konoha would hunt Sasuke down and kill him for going rogue. His second worry was that the former member of Akatsuki would use his greater strength to over-power Sasuke, and kill him before he had a chance to kill his older brother, and win the eternal favor and gratitude of Konoha.

After that suffocating fear had run its course, Itachi's good sense took over and reassured himself with logical explanations as to why none of those things would happen to his little brother.

Hope flared in Akiko's breast at his words, but she couldn't quite shake her feelings of dread at what her husband had done. Itachi could tell that his wife still had feelings of doubt about what the crimes he had committed, and went on to explain his actions. Getting down on both his knees, he clasped her hand closest to him in both of his, and looked longingly into her eyes, pleading with his own for her to believe and trust him.

"Believe me, Akiko-chan, if there was an alternative that didn't require bloodshed, I would have thought of it. If I could have avoided killing anyone at all, I would have. Trust me on this, please?" He whispered fervently to her.

Akiko longed with all her heart to believe him, but she still wasn't quite convinced. "What about when you were with Akatsuki, huh? What about then?" She snapped, more harshly than she intended. The young woman saw pain flash in his eyes at her tone, and instantly regretted sounding too harsh, even by accident.

Itachi slowly withdrew his hands from hers and just as slowly bowed his head in shame. He had always been ashamed to belong to such an organization, so affiliated with violence and slaughter, but remained because it was necessary to keep an eye on them. With Sasuke gone, he realized that most of his affections toward Konoha were linked with his love for his brother. With Sasuke now deceased, he cared less and less about Konoha. Besides, if his plan had worked out, he'd probably be dead by now, and whatever Madara's real plan was, would have proceeded most likely without a hitch after Sasuke had killed him _any_ways.

"Unless it was in self defense, or if shinobi of Konoha were around, I was mostly guilty by association. Madara knew I was a pacifist at heart, so he never pressed me to commit the same atrocious acts as the others. And just to make doubly sure I would have as little chance of killing as possible, he paired me with another member who, number one, would get along with me and respect me, and number two, would be bloodthirsty enough to _want_ to do most, if not all, of the killing himself. That's Kisame for you." Itachi looked into his wife's eyes again and begged with her silently to see the truth in his eyes.

Though she had seen her husband extremely sad in the past, she had never known him before to turn this woeful look upon her. It filled her with such sadness, she felt tears begin to sting her eyes and a crack splintered open in her heart. It was then that she realized she was staring at the truth within her husband's gaze.

A single tear slid down Akiko's face as she turned over and looked at the wall. She wanted to think about it, and see how she felt later on. Her heart ached to trust him, as a war was being waged in the garden of her heart. The seed of doubt that had been planted by Ja-ku was battling against the blossoming hope and trust that Itachi had taken great pains to sow in her heart.

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**Phew!! 5 1/2 pages in Microsoft Word, and most of it without a complete keyboard! ^_^ Well, how did you like it?! 8D Tell me what you thought about it. What are you likes and dislikes about it? What are you favorite parts? Don't be afraid to share with meh! I look forward to reading your reviews. ^_^**

**The end is nigh...**

**I can't believe I'm almost done with this fanfic! ACK! I'm going to miss it so much when I'm done. T_T Maybe I should start thinking of a sequal...**


	22. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 22

**Aaah, yes. 'Tis good to be back! *stretches* Ouch! .0; *cough* Ahem! Anywho...**

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**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, OR ANYTHING OR ANYONE FROM THE SERIES 'NARUTO'. IT ALL BELONGS TO MASASHI KISHIMOTO. ORIGINAL CHARACTERS, HOWEVER, DO BELONG TO MOI (ME).**

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**Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 21! I loved your reviews and I eated them alla up. ^_^ But seriously, your reviews mean a lot to me, people. :)**

**I apologize for the long wait, everyone, but you have a certain someone -coughshelbycough- to thank for this chapter you're reading right now. But just know that right it hurts my left arm to be typing right now. Friday night before last, I seriously injured my arm. Though I'm recorvering in leaps and bounds, there are still many things that is quite difficult for me to do, and other things that I can just barely do, and typing is one of them. But I'm able to do it, praise God! YAY!**

**Aaaanywaaaaaay... Here ya go! Served to order, chapter 22! ENJOY! And remember! Reviews are made of Win! 8D******

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**Chapter 22**

Uchiha Akiko slept soundly inside the worn down hut, her mind finally at peace about her husband's past. Itachi, however, sat outside the hut, his back against the wall as he wept painfully and silently into his hands. The solitary Uchiha was beside himself with grief. He was sure that his wife hadn't believed a single word he'd spoken to her, and that she hated him above all others. His heart, once so full of love for his innocent little brother, had been shattered and splintered with what he thought was beyond repair when Sasuke was killed, had been miraculously healed by Akiko's love for him, and by his own love for her.

Now it felt like his entire being was being crushed all over again by the mere thought of losing the only person left alive that he loved. She was still alive, and would live to see many more days, but would Akiko ever forgive him for a seemingly unforgivable past? It did not appear so.

_So, now what?_ Itachi thought, _What am I going to do now? She probably won't have me, and will most likely have me exiled from her village. What will happen to her, though? I don't think I can bear to be away from her, not ever knowing how she's doing, if she'll be okay, if she'll get remarried… _As that thought struck Itachi, he began to weep all the more. He couldn't bear the thought of her being with anyone but him. The tears burned his hands and face as he cried the pain in his soul. First his family, then Sasuke, and now his wife. He wept for all the people he loved who were now lost to him.

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Akiko woke up to the sound of gentle, yet raw, agonized crying. She immediately recognized it as Itachi's. As it did that first time she saw him lying on the parched ground, mostly dead, her heart broke at the sound of her strong husband crying.

Itachi's wife sat up in bed. For a moment, she winced with pain, and clutched at the wound in her shoulder. Her face was contorted with pain, but she quickly overcame it at the sound of Itachi's tears. Getting up out of bed, she walked towards where she heard the sound coming from. Standing under the edge of the roof, she looked up at the sky to see a large moon looking down at them, smooth, gentle light flowing down from it to rest upon the young couple.

Akiko looked around, not seeing him, walked around the left corner of the building. There, she saw Itachi sitting on the ground, doubled over in pain, his face buried in his hands as he wept into them. A thick, suffocating blanket of hopelessness and loss had settled upon Itachi. The moon's luminescence seemed to envelope her husband. Tears unbidden sprang to her eyes at the sight of her sobbing husband. She took three steps towards him, then went down on one knee, wrapping her arms comfortingly around the Uchiha shinobi, resting her head against his shoulder.

Itachi gasped as he was suddenly wrapped in a sheltering hug. The tears abruptly stopped, and he gasped in surprise, sitting up. Slowly, he turned to look at who was hugging him. He knew it could be none other than his wife, but it still came as quite the shock.

"A-Akiko-chan… !" He whispered, resting his hands in his lap.

Akiko looked up at him to meet his gaze, which was for once, not guarded. Itachi saw tears shimmering in her eyes. It moved him deeply to see this for he realized her tears were not for herself, but for him. Akiko reached up and brushed the tears from Itachi's face. Gently, she brushed his bangs away from his face, and pushed his long tresses behind his back. Gazing into his face, Akiko was struck by Itachi's masculine beauty.

The moons light showered down on Akiko's up turned face, making her countenance aglow with radiant beauty, and her tears, which had sprung from her love for Itachi, gave off a majestic look about her. It took Itachi's breath away to behold Akiko's glorious visage. The tears of love made her seem even more beautiful, and at once Itachi felt unworthy to have someone so angelic love him.

"Why do you cry, dear one?" Akiko asked, her tears threatening to overflow, her chin trembling.

Itachi gulped, trying to swallow the lump in his throat her splendor had stirred in him. Opening his mouth to speak, he unexpectedly found his mouth dry. He turned his whole body to face her, and cupped her face in his hands, his love for her reflected there. Itachi felt something unusual well up in his chest as he peered into his wife's lovely countenance. After a moment, he realized what it was. After so many years of feeling empty of love, and longing to have that space filled by his brother, this woman had come along, and without him even realizing it at first, had filled up that cavernous hole in his chest.

Taking his thumbs, he wiped her tears away even as he felt them well in his own eyes. Unbeknownst to him, his bottom lip began to tremble as he thought of the words he was going to speak, "I thought I had lost you, too!" He whispered intensely, hope thickly lacing his words.

Akiko's heart was so moved by this that tears immediately sprung to her eyes and spilled over. It looked to Itachi that her light, iridescent blue eyes had leaked. "You could never lose me!" She whispered back with just as much intensity.

"Then… you have forgiven me?" Itachi sputtered in incredulous disbelief.

She blinked, her face transforming into a look of sweet tenderness. "How could I _not_ forgive you? You gave up everything, even your own LIFE, for the sake of another. Your whole life has been selfless. It matters not how you did it, for that is the reason your heart aches now. After all you have been through, it would be selfish NOT to forgive you. You have been through enough without losing your wife, whom you've barely just discovered you love, to unforgiveness."

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment longer, then suddenly embraced. So much love, so much hope, so much relief, joy, and happiness all at once filled Itachi with such intensity that at first he didn't know what was happening, or what to do, but an instant later, they washed over him like a crashing wave, breaking through any barriers that were in the way, forcing Itachi to release his emotions. That same moment the crashing, all-consuming wave of emotions burst forth in a tidal wave of tears, the purest form of emotion. He griped his wife tightly to his chest, crushing her gently, and curled his fingers around her hair, grasping part of her back, cleaving to her with such ardor Akiko didn't think it could be real. Akiko hugged him to her with all the strength she could muster, feeling like Itachi thought that if he loosened his grip for even a second, she would vanish.

Akiko rocked Itachi back and forth in a soothing manner as her husband keened and wept his joy, relief and pain. She rubbed his back, hoping that it was comforting to him. They held each other like that for a long time as Itachi let it all out like he had never been free to do before. His painful mourn echoed off the trees and abandoned hut, absorbing his sorrow and relief, allowing the tears to mend his tattered heart.

When the tears had finally subsided, and the couple sat together quietly, Itachi's head resting in Akiko's lap, and her hands on his head and waist, for several moments, Itachi's wife cleared her throat.

The Uchiha man turned his head and looked up at the blue eyed beauty with a questioning look.

"Itachi-kun." She said.

"Yes, what is it?" He asked.

"When I asked you why you were crying, you said 'I thought I had lost you, too! '… What did you mean by that?" She asked, sincerely.

The silence between them stretched on, painfully obvious. Male crickets sang their long-legged song in the distance as the moon glowed from above at a higher point in the sky. Eventually, Itachi let out a pained sigh.

"It has something to do with your brother, Sasuke, doesn't it? " She asked in a matter-of-fact sort of way.

Itachi was silent again, but this time not as long. He let out another sigh, and spoke barely above a whisper. "Yes."

"You never told me about him before."

Itachi's heart skipped a beat. "I know. " He said softly.

They were quiet again for a moment and just when Akiko was about to prompt him, he began.

"From the very first moment that I held Sasuke in my arms as a baby, he became my whole world to me. I loved him more than I loved anyone, even our own parents. That love grew stronger and stronger every day. He was more precious to me than food or even air. He _was_ my air. I knew there wasn't anything that I wouldn't do for him. Everything that I did was, in some way, for Sasuke. I trained to get stronger so I could protect Sasuke. I fought all adversaries as if they were trying to kill Sasuke themselves. I grew up with so much bloodshed, I hated violence, but I honed my shinobi skills in order to defend my little brother from all danger."

"It didn't take long for the Uchiha village to realize I was what they called a prodigy. I quickly became the pride of the Uchiha, and the pride and joy of my father and mother. Before long, my parents started to ignore Sasuke. Especially our dad. Even though I loved our parents a great deal, it pained _me _to see the pain _they_ inflicted on Sasuke. It became increasingly hard to love them over the years."

"And when I found out my dad, the head of the Uchiha Clan, was planning a coupe, a desperate attempt to over-throw Konoha, my home village, I despised him, and everyone else in the Uchiha Clan, for it. I knew it would only make life harder for Sasuke. It seemed that I was the only one who loved him in our family most of the time. I did everything I could to try and turn our fathers attention to Sasuke, but to no avail."

"When I became a member of ANBU, I learned terrible secrets about the Uchiha Clan. I won't utter them now. One thing I discovered was that my ancestor, Madara Uchiha, was still alive. I managed to seek him out. He became my mentor for a short while, and taught me many things about our Clan and the Sharingan."

"Sometime after joining ANBU, I was approached by the Hokage and the Elders. They ordered me to spy on my family and feed them information about them. They suspected something was up, and knew that I would be a great source of information. Even though my own father trusted me with the family's secrets, I spied for the Hokage and Elders. When I told them that they were planning a coupe they began to immediately think of a way to stop it from happening. Shortly thereafter, they realized that only an Uchiha, a prodigy Uchiha, could beat another Uchiha. The Elders ordered me to carry out a death sentence for the entire Uchiha Clan in secret, and to take the fall for them. Everyone would believe that the genius Uchiha Itachi had gone mad and went berserk on his own family, killing everyone. It was a dispicable thing they asked me to do, but the only way that the entire matter could be resolved. And I agreed to do it."

Here, Itachi paused, bowing his head as if in prayer, and shook his head back and forth slowly. The pain of that day returned to him full force, and with a massive effort he was able to crush the deafening wave that begged to consume him. His body shuddered with the enormity of it, and burning tears leapt to his eyes, and coursed down his face. He gulped hard, managing to push the pain aside, then continued. Akiko rubbed his back soothingly.

"But when the day of the event arrived, I knew that I wouldn't be able to kill Sasuke. So I thought of what to tell Sasuke. I knew that without the right kind of power and strength, Sasuke could attain the kind of power that I had, even if it wasn't at the same level of magnitude. I had hoped that he would be able to become more powerful than I. Powerful enough to kill me, and become a hero to Konoha. For that was my plan. If he became strong enough, trained hard enough and even though probably Konoha as a whole may despise him, he would attain great power because of his Uchiha blood and eyes, Sasuke would kill me as revenge for our family and Clan, and become a great hero to the people of Konoha, and the Uchiha name would be redeemed."

"So when I saw Sasuke after I had slaughtered our clan with the help of Madara, I spoke words of greed for power, and hatred to Sasuke. I tore the very heart from his chest, his life blood, stomped it into the ground, and crushed it with all my might. When he asked me why I killed everyone, I told him it was for power, then I said, _Foolish Little Brother. If you want to kill me, hate me, resent me. And when you have the same eyes as I, then come find me._ I nearly broke right then, saying those words to him. Oh, how I wanted pick him up and hold him in my arms and tell him that it was all just a bad dream. A cruel genjutsu. Explain to him why I had to do it, and wipe the tears from his innocent little face. When I saw him lying on the floor, helpless, after showing him with my Mangekyo Sharingan what I had done, everything within me cried out to rush up to him, swipe him off the floor and clean up his face, and weep into his hair how sorry I was and how much I regretted it all. I could feel my bottom lip trying to quiver, but I forced myself to look stern, cold. That was the most difficult battle I'd ever fought."

Suddenly, Itachi was there again, on that night, reliving it all over again.

_Itachi ran from his little brother as hard as he could, his feet smacking against the ground, and roof tops as he tried to get away. Sasuke was in hot pursuit, shouting after him with his sweet little boy voice, filled with heart-wrenching agony. Itachi's heart pounded in his chest, literally aching with torment. _I don't want to do this! _His mind shouted in protest. Itachi's whole body exclaimed its objection by trembling with the amount of suffering he was going through. His chest heaved more than normal, and he struggled to fight the urge not to turn around and face Sasuke and tell him the truth. His arms quavered with longing to hold Sasuke in them once more._ How will I be able to cope all these years without seeing Sasuke on friendly terms?! How will I be able to cope without being able to watch him grow up?! How will I survive not getting to talk to him every day?!?!?! _Almost unconsciously, Itachi began to savor these last few heart beats of being in Sasuke_'_s presence before the hate settled in._

_Each time Sasuke called his name it brought him that much closer to tears. Just as Itachi cleared the village wall, he could hear Sasuke shout._ "NII-SAN!" _Unbidden, a solitary tear squeezed through his clenched eyes, then was whipped away by the wind. Itachi had no idea that his tear had spattered on Sasuke's cheek._

_Wiping away his tears, Itachi circled the entire village till he could use a jutsu to appear before Danzo._

"I take it the task is done, then?" _The decrepit old has-been said._

"It is."

"Well done."

"However, I have left my younger brother, Sasuke, alive. " _Itachi's insides clenched with anxiety as he spoke._

"What! How dare you defy me, Itachi?! Why have you done this?!"

"He is my only brother, my only blood. I could not… bring myself to kill him."

"Then I will send someone who can!" _Danzo bellowed._

_Suddenly, Itachi was behind Danzo, a kunai out and held to the Elders throat. _"You will do no such thing, Danzo, or so help me, I will see your new eye and arm cut from your body, as well as your other limbs, and fed to my crows. Also, I will reveal the truth of what happened to the entire village. And then I will raise a nightmare from the past to deal with you, and whoever else participated in his killing. And don't you think for a moment that I won't. I mean what I say, Danzo. Don't you EVER so much as harm even a single hair on his head." _He growled menacingly into his ear, gently pressing the blade of the kunai harder against his throat._

"I go to tell the Hokage, now. I know he will promise to keep Sasuke safe." _Itachi took a step back, placing the kunai back in his pouch, positioned his right hand in front of his chest with his thumb and first two fingers raised, then vanished in a cloud of smoke._

"Hokage-sama!"

"Itachi-kun?! What are you still doing here?"

"I need to ask you a favor, Hokage-sama. A very important one." _He spoke urgently, looking from side to side._

"After tonight, anything!"

_In a rush, Itachi quickly explained all that had transpired between he and Danzo. The Hokage nodded sagely, quickly promising to look after the young Uchiha himself._

_Talking about his despicable acts of earlier was taxing on Itachi, and he could feel the sadness and anguish building up inside him. The Hokage saw this, and rapidly dismissed him after agreeing to protect Sasuke so he wouldn't be present when someone came to report the Uchiha slaughter._

_Itachi fled Konoha as fast as he could, his feet flying over the land, desperately trying to escape the agony that he had been holding back. The faster he fled, the harder the ocean of deep, roiling, turbulent emotions pushed at the dam holding them back. Itachi ran harder and harder till he was gasping for air and his lungs threatened to burst._

_The night creatures flew from the hard-breathing youth as his flight through the forest became labored and clumsy. His loud gasps for air were so noisy that someone could have shot him in the dark. At one point when his right foot landed on a tree and he tried to make another leap, his foot caught on another branch that had sprouted off the main branch. He tripped, and crash landed on the forest floor below. Dazed, the young Uchiha righted himself, and sat there in a lump, wrapping his arms around his knees, which were drew up to his chest. The teenager stared off into the night, his face and mind blank, but only for a moment. Suddenly, he threw his head down on his knees and began to sob and wail his grief, his chest heaving mightily, his lower jaw clamping on his top. He bit his lip so hard it gushed blood trying to maintain the tears, but it all just came bubbling up, overwhelming his senses. Such was the intensity of his anguish that for several hours that night Itachi became pure grief itself, screaming his brother's name till his throat was hoarse, a thick sheet of loss cocooned him like silk as he mourned for his family and his precious little brother and vehemently we_p_t for the _p_ain he caused Sasuke this night, whom he knew he would never again see on good terms._

_It was bad enough that he had to kill his family, but let his brother live, and leave him behind_?_ If only he could have found a way to take Sasuke WITH him. But he knew that wouldn't have been possible. Oh well._

_When the tears and howls of pain finally subsided, he began to wonder when next he would see Sasuke again, and how much he would have grown by then. He sniffled, whipping his nose with the back of his hand._ "I'm so sorry I had to cause you so much pain, little brother. I'll see you again someday, Otutu. Someday."

As Itachi came back to the present, he shuddered with the memory, clenching his eyes shut, feeling the same sense of pain and loss he had felt that night. He realized he was on the ground, his head in Akiko's lap_._

"Where did you go just then, Itachi-kun?" Akiko asked, thoroughly spooked.

Blinking in confusion, it took Itachi a moment to register what Akiko said to him. "I traveled back to that night I killed my family." When he spoke it felt like Itachi's voice had traveled and stretched back thousands of years into the past, and had just barely been transported to the present. It was like his voice had been weakened by its Time trek back to the here and now.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" She asked hesitantly, gently.

"I don't know; maybe." He responded, his insides twisting with some unknown emotion. He took a deep breath, then plunged back into the past, reiterating everything he had just seen and heard and felt to his loving wife. When he was finally done, they both were lain out on the ground, the crown of their heads touching.

"That is such a beautifully sad story!" Akiko whispered, the tears she was moved to shimmering in her eyes. Itachi said nothing.

Every time Itachi retold a part that was especially difficult for him, Akiko sensed the conflicting emotions inside him that he had felt all those years ago, and cried with him as if she were there, living it herself instead of Itachi. She also cried with Sasuke, at the sense of betrayal, pain and fear he must have felt that night. When Itachi retold the part where he wept for several hours in the woods many miles from Konoha, Akiko cried with him, imagining the loss, the guilt, the anguish and sadness he felt.

Akiko pictured it all before her; she could see it in her mind as if it were right before her eyes. She longed to be able to go back to the past and do something about what Itachi and Sasuke had gone through, but she knew that was impossible, and even if it weren't, there was nothing she really could have done that would make things better.

The Uchiha bride moved around so that she could lie beside her husband and wrap her loving arms around him, trying to give him as much comfort as she could, but knowing that even all she had to offer was as empty space compared to all the pain and tormented suffering Itachi had gone through over the years.

Oblivious was Akiko as to exactly how much comfort Itachi was really receiving from her. Her body was like a sponge, absorbing all the woe's of Itachi's heart till there was just enough that Itachi could tolerate it, and use that pain to strengthen his resolve and his heart; though that in itself would take time.

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**:I O_______O What did you think??? OMG, I loved writing this chapter! Especially that flashback! I know, I know. I got one part kind of wrong, and I apologize for that. It just seemed more fitting to leave it as it was the first time I wrote it. T_T I sowwy. Please don't be uspet wit me. n_n;**

**REVIEWS ARE LOOOVE!!!! If you enjoyed this latest installment, or have something to say, let me know in a review! :D I love to hear about what my readers think about my writing. ^_^ Truly, I do. -heart-**

**I'll try and update reeeeaaal soon!**


	23. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 23

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO, ITACHI, OR ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE NARUTO SERIES. IT ALL BELONGS TO KISHIMOTO. I JUST OWN THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.**

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**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed my last chapter!! You're awesome and totally made of Win. ;D**

**Another update, yaaaayyyyy!!!! And guess what?! This fic is almost FINISHED!!! W00000OOo0T! It's been a long journey, and I admit I am quite satisfied with how it's turned out thus far. Have you?**

**CAUTION!: THIS CHAPTER HAS L-E-M-O-N-S!!! READ AT YOUR ~OWN~ RISK!**

**Man, this is going to be a good chapter, I hope! Please enjoy!**

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**Chapter 23**

When Akiko was finally fully healed, which had taken two weeks and four days, they gathered necessary traveling things from the luscious green forest around them, and headed home.

Having spent most of their marriage, and all of their time together since they met in a stupor of depression, Itachi used this time wisely with his wife. He was eager to make up for his previous non responsive, un-husbandly and unemotional behavior towards her.

They talked together every day, Itachi listening to everything from his wife's lips. She listened to him, too, but especially encouraged him to speak of his beloved brother, Sasuke. It brought such joy to Itachi's voice and face when he spoke of him, she'd let him speak at great length about him till his ears had had their fill of Sasuke for the time being.

When the subject was finally changed from Sasuke, Itachi asked his wife question after question about herself, learning all he could about her. He never tired of hearing her musical voice speak to him. Itachi took his time learning about her childhood; the games her and her father played together; what little she remembered of her mother, or what her father told her of Okasan. He learned her favorite color, which he learned was the same color as her eyes, light blue, her favorite flower, the Camilla known as Drama Girl, her favorite season, spring, favorite food, ramen, and favorite drink, chamomile tea, the list was endless. The Uchiha was especially surprised to learn of his wife's extensive knowledge of plant life. He also discovered that through much of her own efforts, Akiko had become an accomplished botanist, and could make all sorts of plant remedies and poultices, and as a result, a gifted cook, simply because she knew the right plants to add to certain foods to bring out their natural flavors, and to enhance them, as well as to add extra flavor and umph.

While he listened to her talk of plants, he discovered that he had an interest in them as well. Some days they would stop for whole hours as Itachi got a lesson in this or that plant, all the different names it had, and how it could be used for when used this way or that.

Akiko also took her turn in asking Itachi about himself. When concerning his past before the Uchiha slaughter, this line of talk always concerned Sasuke. She thought it was gloriously cute how he absolutely glowed when thinking about Sasuke. She wished she could have met him a hundred times on their trip back. She also learned all of his favorite things, and dislikes, committing everything to memory, as he did with her. The Uchiha bride learned about his life with Akatsuki, and everything leading up to Sasuke's death, which he explained to her the details of.

Though it took a lot of convincing, she finally got Itachi to tell her what happened to him when he learned of Sasuke's death. It was not an easy retelling, but after his cry the night Akiko awoke to Itachi's weeping, it was easier to tell.

After some several days of traveling, and learning a great deal about one another, Itachi felt a strange force pulling at his hand. He realized that he wanted to hold his wife's hand, to be closer to her than he ever was. Itachi noticed that during their days of travel together, they were growing ever closer as friends and felt an even deeper sense of their relationship together. As a result, the Uchiha man felt his connection towards his wife growing stronger, and fonder. When he realized this, he became quiet. Sweat popped out on his brow and he could feel the nervousness rise up within him. His pinky started to twitch slightly. With a start, he wiped the sweat from his palm, and then with more gentleness he didn't knew he had, took Akiko's hand in his.

Akiko gasped her surprise, but didn't pull back. It was Itachi's first sign of real physical affection for her he'd shown. A small smile formed on her lips, and a blush crept over her cheeks.

Several days after the first time he held her hand, he began to walk with a protective arm around her waist, having grown more brave in getting closer to his wife. He could feel her lovely curves under his robe she wore. They beckoned him with silent gestures.

That night, Itachi huddled closer to her than he'd previously dared, no longer able to stay away from her, no longer nervous about being near her. He discovered that even with a small fire going, she was still getting cold. At first, Itachi just held her to him, her back curling against his warm chest. When that didn't seem like much help, he gently turned her over to face him, and wrapped his arms around her.

The fire light glowed warmly, reflecting in her beautifully blue eyes. Akiko smiled invitingly at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Kiss me, Itachi-kun." She murmured.

Itachi gulped, shaking his head. My heavens, she was so beautiful, she was making him nervous!

"Please?" She begged, turning her puppy dog eyes on him.

"I can't." He rasped, his mouth and throat suddenly dry, his face becoming a bright ruby red.

"Kiss me." She softly begged him, turning up the force of her puppy dog eyes.

Itachi closed his eyes, gulped. He gulped several more times, then pursed his lips and slowly leaned forward to share his first kiss with her. Akiko tilted her own head, pursing her lips and leaned towards Itachi.

Itachi felt a spark of lightening as their lips touched. His face turned an even brighter shade of red. Her lips were warm and inviting, and she kissed him back with gentle fervor. He could feel her welcoming, burning passion in that single, simple little kiss that seemed to stretch on forever.

When their lips finally parted, Itachi thought he felt a little dazed by that first kiss. He couldn't remember ever having experienced something so wonderful.

From that night forward, every night when Itachi and Akiko settled down to sleep, he always cuddled close to her, kissing her sweet lips good-night. Each night, Itachi became a little bolder. During the day, they talked like any quaint, regular couple. But both Itachi and Akiko looked forward to that night when they would be close to each other like they never were back at the Uzumaki village.

Uchiha Itachi had never known this kind of emotion before. Yes, he'd had a lover in the Uchiha clan, but that was nothing. Puppy love, that was it. This, however… _this_ was… SO much more than that. He knew. Itachi _knew_ that this was the real McCoy. Genuine. His heart fluttered in his chest, and barely kept himself in check, refusing to let his body tremble with anticipation at the coming night. He did treasure these special moments with her during the day, loved talking to her and hearing her talk, but he couldn't quite put words to how he felt about the nights they spent together. **Truly** together. Not any of that half-assed crap from before she'd been taken hostage.

Each night, their kisses became more passionate. Not very many nights after their kissing became heavy, and fiery, Itachi began to explore her body with his hands. Just a little at first. But every night he'd go a little further; always hesitantly, and a little afraid that she'd knock his hands away. On the contrary, her beautiful, curving body responded to his touch invitingly, luring him to go to new places never explored by his hands before.

Itachi discovered that, after her angelic face, her breasts were the most beautiful, wonderful thing he'd ever laid eyes on. The way they curved, the rise of her nipples, the fullness and plumpness of them beckoned him closer. On instinct, one night, he put his mouth to one alluring nipple, and suckled it gently, playing with it with the tip of his tongue. Akiko's soft sighs gratified him.

The next night, he explored her body even lower. Though he knew what he would find there, it was still a pleasant surprise at what he discovered. She was soft, and moist and oh so inviting. He was tempted to take her right then, but he knew she was still a virgin (for she had told him everything that had transpired during their separation), and didn't want to take things too fast for her. He wanted everything to be just right for her.

Akiko, on the other hand, was eager to have Itachi in every way imaginable, but knew that Itachi had to take things at his own pace. She also sensed that he wanted to do things right, and to do right by her. Even though she was a little impatient, she didn't say anything, and let Itachi woo her. Not that she complained… she was enjoying the wooing as much as HE was.

The following night, while he and Akiko were making out, and Itachi exploring the wonderful curves of her body, Itachi decided to try something different. Sliding down so that his eyes were looking at her belly button, Akiko's husband began to lick her. He barely just managed to remember that a woman was more sensitive on her outside than on her inside, and wanted to give her her greatest physical pleasure before hurting her with his penetration.

Finding the right spot, Itachi started to lick her vigorously. Almost right away, he began to hear the pleasurable moans and gasps of his wife that told him she was enjoying what he was doing. Her back arched, and her toes curled while her eyes were clenched shut. Her whole body tingled and sparked with pleasure as something started to rise in her. She didn't know what it was, but it was the most amazing sensation she'd ever felt. It began to rise more and more, and her soft moans and gasps turned to groans of pleasure. And suddenly, she was there. Cresting at the top of a wave as spasms of pleasure jolted through her body like nothing she'd ever felt, and made all previous pleasurable physical experiences dull in comparison. She cried out loudly, gripping Itachi's hair tightly in her hands, hoping that it would never stop. Akiko cried out loud again and again as the spasms continued to jerk through her body.

At that moment, when Akiko's cries were the loudest, Itachi disrobed and straddled his wife, still massaging her with his fingers as enthusiastically as he could. He placed himself, erect and ready, at her entrance, and forced his way in. Akiko cried out in that same instant with both pain and pleasure. Lovingly, Itachi began to move in and out of her very slowly. He knew it still hurt her, and wanted there to be as little pain as possible.

Her warm, moist body hugged tightly to his as he gently moved in and out. He had to stop rubbing her most sensitive spot with his fingers to keep his balance, but tried to move in such a way that would bring the most pleasure to her. Itachi closed his mouth around Akiko's, pressing his muscular chest to her breast. She kissed him back urgently, the spasms of her orgasm still echoing through her entire body, though his movements still hurt her.

Itachi grunted his pleasure, gasped with feelings of bliss and immense love for his wife. He ached to bring pleasure to her, but knew it was very near impossible this first time for her. He put a nipple to his mouth and suckled hard, all the while flicking it with his tongue, trying to increase her own pleasure. She moaned softly when he did this, arching her back in response. The Uchiha felt his blood rising, and he knew he was finally getting close. Her soft moans when he had suckled her nipple made him hunger for more, aroused him more, but he refused to go any faster for fear of hurting her more than necessary. He put his mouth to her other nipple and nibbled on it softly, then suckled and played with it with his tongue. This time when she moaned, it sent him over the edge. He grunted and thrusted a couple final times as he felt immense bliss shoot through his member like a rocket.

_Aaah._ He sighed inwardly.

Finally, he lay spent on top of Akiko, slightly out of breath. He turned to look into her eyes, and she met his gaze, he smiled lovingly at her. He rubbed her cheek with the back of his fingers tenderly.

"I… I hope I did not hurt you overly much?" He asked, a blush rising in his cheeks.

Unsure how to answer, and not wanting to make him feel bad about having popped her cherry, she said "It won't hurt as much next time, I'm sure." She whispered.

Itachi rolled off of her and lay on the ground facing away from her. He felt ashamed and hurt at her words, despite the fact he knew she meant _not_ to hurt him with those words. He grunted softly his pain at hurting her.

Akiko rolled over to wrap an arm around Itachi. "Please don't feel bad, my dearest one. I know it could not be helped, and it wasn't your fault. It is just the way of things, and I would rather you were the one to do it than someone else who doesn't love me at all. I… I'm… I'm so glad it _was_ you that did it, and not someone else… not Ja-ku." She whispered reassuringly to him.

Fully comforted, Itachi turned back around and hugged her tightly to him. He gave her his shirt to wear and wrapped his cloak around them and cuddled her, nuzzling his face into her neck.

"My love." He whispered tenderly.

The next night Itachi did not make love to his wife; he wanted to give her sore body a chance to recover. But the _next_ night, Akiko insisted she was ready for him again. He repeated the process he had two nights ago, with similar results. Only this time, she had two orgasms while he was going down on her, and she got slightly more pleasure from their love-making than the last.

After that, they made love every night, thoroughly, Itachi making sure that he got his wife off one way or the other. Every time they made love, Akiko felt even more pleasure than the last, till Itachi was able to give her much pleasure every night. That was how it was every night the rest of the way back home.

Sometimes even during the day they would stop to make love, each time sweeter than the last for both of them. Itachi thought of new ways to romance her every night, showering her with kisses, poetic verse, compliments of her beauty, and bringing the most beautiful and sweetly scented flowers he could find, to her.

Akiko never imagined that in all her days she would ever end up with the perfect, sweetest husband.

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**Oooh, man, you guys! I've never done such a love scene before! And I don't read romance (more like SMUT) novels, so I wouldn't know how they are in books. Forgive me if my love scene is cheesy and/or cliche. I don't read enough smut to know what they're like, so yeah. Go easy on me, I'm a first timer. :P**

**I love reviews, so lemme have 'em, you guys! I want to know all of your thoughts and everything on this! Please? Reviews are Win! -heart-**


	24. Blackness Into the Light Chapter 24

**AACK! IT'S THE FINAL CHAPTER! **

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**------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, NARUTO OR ANYTHING FROM THE NARUTO SERIES. WOE... IS ME.**

**----------------------------WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME SEXUAL CONTENT! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION. (NOT EXPLICIT)**

**(^Because it wouldn't stay centered!)**

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MAN, it has been too LONG, neh? Yes, yes, I know. U_U I'm terrible. -bottom lip trembles- Can you ever forgive me? I hope so! ^_^

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has kept up with my fanfic and has been faithful in leaving reviews! You know who you are. ;;) You're all very awesome for being my loyal fans and you have no idea how MUCH I truly appreciate your devotion to reading my fanfic AND your oh, so incredible reviews that just lifted me up and made me feel like a million bucks. ^____^ HUGGLES FOR EVERYOOONE! -HUGGLLLLLLLES!- And also... COOKIES! -throws cookies like it's confetti-

-cough- Anywho! -looks around nervously- Ahem! Where did that come from? I'm not sure. Heheh. n_n; Well, all of that aside, I hope that everyone who reads this chapter is FULLY satisfied with the ending and that all your questions have been answered, and all loose ends tied. ^^ It's been a looooong journey, and I have honestly tried to make it as awesome and amazing as I thought was possible. In other words, I gave it my all! And I hope it was enough. 8D

**Please remember to leave reviews when you're done reading! It would be absolutely tragic not to get reviews on my last chapter, the only fanfic I've ever completed. X_X**

**And NOW, _without_ further adu, I give you chapter 24, the conclusion to "Blackness Into the Light"! 3**

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**Chapter 24**

Every day for nearly a month the villagers of the Uzumaki clan had set up a temporary watch tower that someone could sit up in and watch for the return of their leader, Uchiha Itachi, and his bride, the former Uzumaki, Uchiha Akiko. Many of the Clan thought at first the couple had left for a short romantic getaway. Now, however, it seemed obvious that it was nothing of the sort. It had been nearly four months since they had suddenly disappeared. And they all feared the worst.

By the second month, someone noticed that Mugen had been missing as well. This did not bode well for him. At first it was uncertain why he would be missing, too. He had disappeared some time ago, well before Itachi and Akiko vanished. But when he didn't reappear after the leaders vanishing act, the people became suspicious. No one said it aloud, however, they were all thinking it, hoping to ignore the growing threat in their mind; the growing connection. Perhaps it was just a coincidence… right? Someone speaking it out loud prevented everyone from accepting the truth.

Eventually, however, someone did speak up. "Do you think Mugen's disappearance is connected to Itachi-sama and Akiko-sama's disappearance? I mean, Mugen _did_ think he was in love with Akiko." And now that someone finally had the guts to speak it out, everyone started talking about it. They _couldn't_ STOP talking about it. And as the days passed, everyone's suspicions that Mugen was tied with Itachi and Akiko disappearing began to solidify. But what could the lowly Mugen do to the powerful Uchiha Itachi? That was the biggest question and doubt. With the passage of time, however, it seemed to become more evident that Mugen was capable of more damage than they had all dreamed.

The person who was in the tower now was Uzumaki Shura. She was the tallest woman in the Clan, and had been worried right from the start that their Clan may disband without a leader to hold them together. She grew more anxious about it every day that they were away. Shura began to fear that they would never return. Fear knotted in her belly like a squirming mass of worms. Four months was a long time to be away; perhaps, too long.

Scanning the horizon, to the West, she spied two figures just leaving the woods. "Haaaah!" She gasped, her turquoise eyes widening slowly till they looked like they'd pop out. Her bark brown bangs fluttered in the wind, and her thickly knotted hair in the back pleaded to be let loose and play in the wind. She stared harder, concentrating, trying to recognize even some infinitesimal semblance of her leader and his wife.

It took about three minutes, but they were finally close enough that she recognized Akiko's gait. "HAAAAH!" She gasped even louder.

She leaned over the side of the temporary watch tower, a huge smile on her face, and cupped one hand around her mouth, her other holding the rail. "THEY'RE HEEERE!" She shouted, then ran to the ladder and slid the rest of the way down.

Shura ran through the village, shouting at the top of her longs, "THEY'RE HERE!" and then told them from where she saw them coming.

Soon, the whole village was gathered together at the edge of the West side of the village, watching impatiently for their leaders to get back, the whole time cheering them on. As the two got closer, they began to applaud, clapping louder and louder till it sounded like thunder. The last several feet, the people began to swarm forward to surround the two Uchiha.

Itachi and Akiko Uchiha blushed and smiled at everyone embarrassedly, scratching the backs of their heads. Several Uzumaki's came forward to clap them on the back, hug them, and to give them words of welcome.

Some of the women quickly went to prepare a feast of celebration for that night. It wasn't long before the young couple got completely lost in the embrace of the Clan, everyone hugging everyone else, or shaking hands. Many a happy tear were shed, as well. Akiko, too, cried with relief at their safe return. After all she'd been through, the young woman, somewhere in the back of her mind, doubted she would ever return here.

Late that evening, the whole Clan gathered in the village hall, the very same room where Itachi and Akiko shared their first dance together. Several long tables filled the room, and a beautiful, aromatic spread had been lain out on every table. There were twenty different kinds of ramen, every kind of sushi imaginable, about thirty different soups, several lobsters cooked to perfection, imported kalamari and shrimp, the best vegetables and fruits of the harvest, and their most valuable sake. Desserts would be brought out once everyone was finished eating. It would be a feast that none would ever forget, and long would the story of the fabled feast be retold.

As everyone sat around the table, piling heaps of food on their plates, Itachi and Akiko shyly helped each other get to foods they couldn't reach on their own. They both felt fairly awkward by the whole affair, and throughout the meal exchanged knowing glances, and looks of longing for each other, and their privacy. They had both grown accustomed to spending the night in each other's arms, bodies twined together as one. Not out of lust did they desire one another. But a yearning to feel so close as to be as one, to see the love reflected in the eyes of the other as they gently and passionately made ardent, sweet music together. In thus manner they had spent the days traveling together and long into old age would they think back to that tender time when they spent their nights under the stars, exploring each other's bodies, and learning to love in that intimate way.

But this night the two lovers knew they wouldn't be able to escape to the privacy of their room till late. Till then, Itachi and Akiko enjoyed their food and fellowship as much as they could, talking to various different people seated around them, sharing a choice of things that happened while they were away. Mostly the two tried to find out all the things that had happened while they were gone.

As the evening waned, and the talk flagged, one of the cooks decided it was time for the main event. They had the dessert brought out to everyone, and someone ushered Itachi to a newly situation podium at the front of the large room. After much pleading and begging from every Uzumaki in the room, the decently tipsy Itachi was persuaded to tell the tale of their disappearance. No one, of course, knew what had transpired to their leader and his bride when they vanished, but they all had an inkling that it would be a story to remember.

So, Itachi started the telling, spinning a tale of tiny strings strung together, intertwined here and there at different points till a complete web, an intricate tapestry of a tale had been told, entrancing all who listened.

Much to Akiko's relief, however, Itachi did leave out the parts at the end where they spent every night making love to each other. That was their delicious secret to keep. But even without those bits, it had still been more than enough to enthrall the audience.

At different points during the retelling, Akiko would chime in what had been happening on her end, and fill in gaps where it otherwise would have been confusing for them to not know what'd happened. Akiko did try to downplay the life-threatening parts, but Itachi didn't hesitate to break in then and let them all know just how dire her situation was.

When it was over, the hall once again buzzed with chatter, everyone talking excitedly amongst themselves about the things Itachi had told them after a hugely uproarous applause. There they talked till well past the moon rising, not noticing when Itachi turned to his bride and whispered into her ear.

"Let us drink our fill of love until morning. Let us delight ourselves with love." He murmured to her, letting his breath warm her ear, and giving her a flirty smile.

She turned to look him in the eyes and returned his smile with a sultry one of her own. "Why, nothing would please me more." She replied softly.

Chuckling, Itachi took her by the hand, and they slunk out the side door. Despite how tired they both were, they longed to reunite their souls, to be linked in the most intimate of ways, with none of the garish lust of the world that spoiled everything good and pure. Lust was tasteless and tactless, and did nothing but hurt others… like… like _Ja-ku_. He had almost spoiled Akiko because of lust.

Once inside their home, they locked the door. Fumbling in the darkness, Itachi and Akiko struggled to shed each other of their clothes. When they were nude, they reached for each other in the dark, stumbling to the bare floor. They snuggled together on the floor, Itachi wrapping his arms around his wife who lay on top of him. Akiko breathed heavily with excitement. After all this time, it was still hard to believe that such a gorgeous man who loved her dearly was her husband. And after years of emotional neglect by him, he was just as eager as she, finally, to join with her in the act of marriage.

Itachi could hardly contain himself. Every time he went to make to love to Akiko he felt like kicking himself in the rear for taking so long to realize how much he loved her, and for taking even longer to _show_ her how much he loved her. Sasuke's older brother was eager to make up for lost time and love. He felt on fire with his need to show his bride how much he cherished her by imparting part of himself to her.

"Akiko… Do you know how much I love you?"

Unsure of how he meant, she frowned at first, then brightened, smiling. "No." She replied, "Show me."

Itachi smiled back, saying, "I was just thinking of saying 'Let me show you.'" He laughed softly, rolling them over till he was on top of her.

Itachi's pulse quickened, feeling Akiko's soft chest against his. He gently drew her legs apart with his knees, softly pushing himself inside her. Akiko's husband began to tenderly stroke the first couple of inches just inside her with his erect member. He could tell he was doing it right when his bride began to moan softly, and clutch at his back with her tiny hands. When the Uchiha male felt his wife begin to shudder and tremble, gasping and crying out loudly, he inched just a little further deeper inside, but kept up with the same rhythmic movements, only slightly faster. He kept doing this for several minutes, as long as her orgasm lasted. When finally the last waves of it ebbed away, Itachi quickened his pace, feeling Akiko's desire to please him by wrapping her legs around his middle, and putting one hand in his hair.

The lovers drank and drank, intoxicated by one another, filling the others desire for the other till Akiko came again, with greater waves of pleasure than before they continued to drink, and hunger after each other, filling each other with their love till Itachi could restrain himself no longer. As he imparted his essence into her, Akiko felt spasms of pleasure avalanche through her like a lance, and she gasped and moaned loudly till they were both spent, Itachi splayed over her, catching his breath. When they stopped gasping for air, Itachi rolled off of Akiko, and lay beside her, bringing her closer to his chest. Three more times during that first night back, Itachi and Akiko made ardent, fervent love to each other, as if to stop making love would make the world stop spinning, suffeciently ending the world. They clung to each other, filling each other, meeting the others needs and wants till they were both completely intoxicated by each others love and passion. The very first drops of sunlight had barely just started to filter through an easterly window when they both dropped off to sleep, utterly sated and exhausted.

When Itachi finally awoke later that day he realized that the spot next to him where his wife had slept was cold. She must have gotten up some time ago. Itachi made his way to the bathroom to clean himself up, but when he got there, his bride was already there, her head in the bowl, hair loose and damp all around her. Itachi heard her wretch into the bowl, her whole body trembling from the effort.

"Akiko!" He shouted, distraught. He dashed to her side, and gently placed one hand on her back. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Akiko weakly looked up at him, and gave him a feeble smile. "It's just morning sickness, Itachi, nothing to worry about." She said.

"What? How long have you been puking? All morning?" Itachi practically shouted, fretting needlessly.

Akiko sat up, and wiped her face off. She coughed once, then looked into her husband's face. "I said it's okay, Husband. It's only morning sickness." She gave him another weak smile.

Itachi relaxed a little, still looking at her with concern. "Are you _sure_ it's only morning sickness? I mean, it could b…. " His voice trailed on as recognition struck him with brutal force.

"But… how… could you be… ?" He whispered, his face a mask of shock.

Akiko giggled, covering her mouth with one hand. She was delighted by his reaction. "I think you know how, Uchiha Itachi." She said, giving him a mischievous smile, while reaching over to grasp his package. Itachi blushed beet red.

"It's mine?" He said, his voice incredulous, his face burning more brightly red.

"Who else have I been having sex with these past 3, 4 months, Itachi-kun?" Akiko smiled beautifully at her husband.

Akiko's groom gulped hard several times. "I'm… I'm… I'm I'm I'm I'm going to be a f-father?" He spluttered rapidly.

Itachi's bride nodded her head in confirmation, her smile broadening. The man took a few moments to soak up this new information. Suddenly, with no forewarning, Itachi leapt to his feet and ran out the room, shouting jubilantly "I'm going to be a father!"

He ran back into the bathroom and slid on his knees in front of his wife. "Is it going to be a girl, or boy?" He asked curiously.

Akiko giggled. "We won't know that till it gets here, silly."

"Oh, right! I forgot." He said, smacking himself in the forehead.

Jumping to his feet, he ran out of the room again, charged out of the house, and declared to the world, "I'm going to be a **FATHER**!"

Hearing him, Akiko chuckled softly to herself, shaking her head slowly, sighing. "Men." She said, smiling.

**8 Months Later **

Itachi waited impatiently outside his bedroom, waiting for some word, some sound, some noise coming from the room. He had fetched the town's best mid-wives 9 hours ago, and all he's heard is them ordering the two apprentices around for the first 3 hours. Then the groaning and grunting began. Itachi was desperate. It sounded like the baby was stuck, or something. It went on for about an hour or so, then there was screaming. Itachi's heart hammered and raced in his chest like a train. He sweated uncontrollably, fear pecking at his brow, and anxiety needling his insides. Forty-three minutes ago it had fallen silent within the room. He worried something had gone wrong. Itachi paced anxiously back and forth outside his room.

_'What if the baby's stillborn? What if Akiko's dead, and they're trying to figure out how to break the news to me? What if they baby was born weak and they're trying to save it? What if the baby is trapped inside her… ? What if the baby kills Akiko? What will I do without her? I could never go on alone. Not after I lost Sasuke. What if…'_

At mid internal monologue, Itachi was abruptly interrupted by a lusty wail. Itachi lurched to a stop, jerking his head up at the sound. His eyes filled with tears, his heart welled with emotion. Without waiting to be asked, he burst into the room, drying his tears. Itachi filled his senses with the beautiful sight before him. His bride, Uchiha Akiko, held a tiny bundle in her arms, thick black hair sprouting from one end. Itachi didn't even notice the mid-wives, or their helpers. He had eyes only for his wife and baby. He rushed to her side, his eyes betraying his deep love for them.

"Would you like to hold your baby?" Akiko asked quietly.

Gulping, Itachi nodded his head 'yes'. "W-what is it? Girl? Boy?" He whispered, staring at his babies soft pink face.

"It's a boy. I named him… Sasuke." She said, looking up into her husband's face.

Just before she told him their sons name, it occurred to Itachi that the baby looked remarkably like his baby brother. At his wife's announcement of his name, tears sprang to Itachi's eyes, and he clenched his eyes shut and buried his face into the blanket Sasuke was wrapped in. His body shuddered momentarily, then he looked back up at his wife, then to Sasuke.

"Sasuke." He whispered. He choked back a cry, and looked into Akiko's eyes. "Thank you." He whispered as tears spilled over.

Barely holding back the flood waters, Itachi ever so gently picked up his baby boy and cradled him against his chest. The tears kept spilling over, and started to drip onto Sasuke's face. The baby stirred. Sasuke opened his eyes for the first time and looked up into his father's eyes. When Itachi realized Sasuke's eyes were open, he looked into them, the tears still pouring out, and his body wracked with sobs. Itachi abruptly stopped crying. In his sons eyes where twin Sharingan's, two pinwheels in each eye.

All of a sudden, Itachi felt himself spiraling in a black hole downward. He could see far below him a lone figure. He felt a strong urgency to get to him, reaching for him with one hand. Itachi began to fly down in a rapid spiral till he could see who the figure was. Uchiha Itachi landed lightly on his feet in front of his little brother.

"Nii-san, I've missed you." He said, calling him 'big brother'.

"Sasuke!" Itachi gasped in astonishment. "What are you… How am I… What's going on? I'm confused… " Itachi stuttered.

"Nii-san, I reincarnated myself into your newborn son the moment he was conceived. After Deidara killed me, and I went into the afterlife, I found out by some other deceased people there the truth about you. I couldn't believe what they told me, but I knew it was the truth."

"But, how… ?" Itachi asked, still confused. This just couldn't be real, could it?

"I'm not sure how I managed to reincarnate myself, but I know I just did. When I discovered the truth about it, I felt both relieved and cheated at the same time. Relieved that you really were the loving brother I had believed you to be, and cheated because my big brother was stolen from me. I couldn't get over that. I wanted that time back that was stolen from me. I wanted more time be your loving brother."

Sasuke paused, sighing, a lone tear trickling down one cheek. "But I knew that wasn't possible. So I settled for being your son."

With no warning, Itachi threw himself at Sasuke, wrapping his younger brother in a bear hug. Sasuke returned his hug with equal strength. "I'm so relieved you know the truth, Sasuke-kun. How I wished there was a way for me to tell you, but knew none. I've missed you so much… " Itachi said, trying not to cry, but failing. "Will you remember this once we're back in real time, in our bodies, or whatever?" He asked, holding Sasuke at arm's length, his brother gripping Itachi's shoulders.

Another tear skated down Sasuke's cheek. He shook his head 'no'. "I'm sorry. But I can't control that. When you decide I'm old enough to know, and you tell me, then my memories will be restored. Also, if you've trained me in the art of being a Shinobi, my powers will be fully awakened."

Unexpectedly, Itachi became overwhelmed by relief and happiness. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke again, burying his face in his brother's shoulder. So overcame was he with emotion, he couldn't find the words to speak. There were so many things he wanted to say, but couldn't get them out.

_'I never dreamed I would ever speak to you again. I never thought I'd see you again, or have you NOT hate me! I dared not hope we'd be on speaking terms again. I can't believe I'm talking to you right now. Is this even real? Am I dreaming you up, Sasuke? Is this just my imagination, or is this really real? Can I actually be touching you and looking at you right now? I feel so unworthy to have you standing so close to me. I wish I could take you back with me. I wish this moment would never end._ The thoughts raced through Itachi's mind so fast that before one sentence was finished, another was surging foreword.

Instead of saying those things, Itachi stepped back, reached up with his first two fingers of his right hand and slowly poked Sasuke in the forehead, saying all there was in that action. "Sorry, Sasuke… This is the last time… "

As if Sasuke had heard all the thoughts hammering for attention in his older brother's mind, Sasuke half smiled at him, chuckling sadly. "I love you, nii-san. And thank you. For everything. Don't forget me, your brother." Sasuke said softly, taking a couple steps back, bringing one hand up in a kind of wave. "Remember me, nii-san." The deceased Uchiha rapidly began to fade.

That black hole that was created when Sasuke died, and had momentarily been filled in this strange genjutsu, again yawned in the depth of his heart once more. He was filled with a terrible sadness, saying, "… Or is it? Love you too, Otutu. I will always remember you, Sasuke. Always."

Itachi blinked, shaking his head slightly to jolt himself back completely. He stared down at his sons face, his tiny eyes barely open. There was no Sharingan in them. They were dark blue. He recalled everything that had transpired moments before between himself and his otutu.

"Itachi-kun… ? Are you alright? Will you be okay?" Akiko asked.

Itachi looked down at her and smiled. He took a step closer and grabbed her hand, holding it in his tenderly. Suddenly life didn't seem quite so bleak anymore. A life full of opportunities and wonderful expectations stretched in front of Itachi since the first time he went to ninja academy.

"Yeah, everything is going to be alright. I'm going to just perfect." Hope sprung up in his chest, flooding his body, and he smiled at his wife, then his son, spreading his joy to them. "I have all I need."

* * *

**OMGoodness! -tear- I'm SO proud of this chapter! It's some of the best stuff I've written, honestly. 8D**

**What did you think? PLEEEAAASE leave a review and let me know exactly how you feel about the ending! Was it to your satisfaction? Was it happy enough for you? Did it meet all (or most) of your requirements? Have I succeeded in writing one of the most awesome fanfics, at least about Itachi? Were there ANY story plot holes? WHAT? TELL MEH! 8D -bugs eyes at you- XD =P**

**Thanks in advance to everyone who leaves a review and has been a committed fan and review-leaver of my fanfic! You're really amazing and I thank you and appreciate you SO much, like you don't even know! You guys are the best. ^_^**


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